NASA astronomers just discovered an asteroid that is striking fear throughout the agency

Don Davis (work commissioned by NASA), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Many people think the movie Armageddon and Deep Impact are far-fetched and will never happen. 

But what astronomers just discovered is showing us how fragile our lives are thanks to flying rocks in space. 

NASA astronomers just discovered an asteroid that is striking fear throughout the agency. 

It’s just in the movies right?

1998 was one heck of a year for movie fans as it was filled with hits like Saving Private Ryan.

But two movies that stood out to many at the time were Armageddon and Deep Impact. 

These movies are regarded as the best blockbusters of the year. 

Rather it was what these two movies had in common which really freaked people out. 

Both movies were based around the world discovering the fact that a space rock capable of erasing humanity was on a collision course with planet Earth. 

This new level of fear no one had ever contemplated is viewed by many as far-fetched and highly unlikely. 

But all it would really take is one terrifying news headline to make these movies a reality. 

Because, like it or not, Earth gets pummeled by hundreds of asteroids each day but most of these are so tiny they just burn up in the atmosphere and end up as part of the dust building up in your house. 

But it looks like that terrifying news headline that could change everything just happened. 

All eyes on 2032

Astronomers have announced that a large asteroid, discovered a couple months ago, has a high likelihood, compared to other asteroids, to make a direct impact with planet Earth. 

The average large asteroid has no chance or a chance decimal places below one percent to hit earth in the foreseeable future. 

But 2024 YR4 has a 1.4 percent chance to hit the floating rock we call home in 2032. 

As NASA explained it in a press release, “Currently, no other known large asteroids have an impact probability above 1 percent.”

The asteroid that is turning heads at NASA is estimated to be 130 to 300 feet wide and strong enough to wipe an area the size of Kansas City off the map. 

But even though this discovery is a cause for some concern, many scientists are telling people not to worry, just yet. 

For one, scientists haven’t pinpointed its exact location in space and a few meters one way or the other could be the difference between zero percent chance of impact to near certainty of impact. 

But also, even if this rock does hit our world in 2032, odds are it will just land in the ocean.  

This would probably cause some tsunami warnings but we would be well prepared for its impacts and could evacuate areas.

For now scientists are just excited that we are finally catching these asteroids before they whiz right by us.

As Jason Steffen, an astronomer at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas described it to the outlet Mashable, “These things come through on a regular basis. The fact that we’re seeing something around a decade into the future shows the improved technology that’s been deployed to watch for these asteroids.”

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