Latest news with #WebbSpaceTelescope
NDTV
11 hours ago
- Science
- NDTV
'City-Killer' Asteroid May Hit Moon, Hurl Deadly Debris Toward Earth
NASA scientists now believe that asteroid 2024 YR4, once thought to pose a slight threat to Earth, may instead collide with the Moon in the coming years. New calculations suggest a 4.3% chance of impact in 2031. First detected on December 27, 2024, by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System in Hawaii, YR4 passed close to Earth just two days earlier. It orbits the Sun every four years. Recent observations in May 2025 from the James Webb Space Telescope estimate the asteroid's size between 174 and 220 feet (53-67 metres), roughly the height of a 10-storey building or the wingspan of a Boeing 747. Earlier estimates ranged from 131 to 295 feet. Data from NASA's Centre for Near Earth Object Studies at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory indicate the likelihood of the asteroid hitting the Moon has steadily risen from 1.7% in February to 3.8% in April, and now to 4.3%. If it does impact the Moon, it's expected to strike the near side, offering a rare chance for scientists to observe crater formation in real time. For now, YR4 is too distant to be tracked by telescopes. It will next approach Earth again in December 2028. "While an Earth impact by 2024 YR4 on December 22, 2032 has now been ruled out, it continues to have a non-zero probability of impacting the Moon at this time," the researchers wrote in their preliminary report, which has not yet been peer-reviewed. Asteroid 2024 YR4 is considered rare, once holding over a 1% impact probability-an extremely unusual threat level. NASA data suggests such an event would occur roughly once in 1,000 years. It's been compared to asteroid Apophis, which once ranked Level 4 on the Torino scale. Apophis will pass close to Earth in 2029, offering a rare visual encounter.
Wales Online
12-06-2025
- Science
- Wales Online
NASA says there's higher chance Asteroid 2024 YR4 will hit the Moon
NASA says there's higher chance Asteroid 2024 YR4 will hit the Moon The asteroid was originally projected to hit Earth, but a moon strike is now more likely We now have a more accurate track on Asteroid YR4 An asteroid scientists feared would cause havoc by striking the Earth in the year 2032 now has an increased likelihood of hitting the Moon. Asteroid 2024 YR4 is currently too distant to detect with telescopes from Earth, but NASA's James Webb Space Telescope collected one more observation of the asteroid before it escaped from view in its orbit around the Sun. With the additional data, experts from NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California further refined the asteroid's orbit. The Webb data improved our knowledge of where the asteroid will be on 22 December 22, 2032, by nearly 20%. As a result, the asteroid's probability of impacting the Moon has slightly increased from 3.8% to 4.3%. In the small chance that the asteroid were to impact, it would not alter the Moon's orbit. When asteroid 2024 YR4 was first discovered, the asteroid had a small chance of impacting Earth. After more observations, NASA concluded the object poses no significant impact risk to Earth in 2032 and beyond. As additional data comes in, it is normal for the impact probability to evolve. An international team led by Dr. Andy Rivkin from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, made the observations using Webb's Near-Infrared Camera in May. Asteroid 2024 YR4 is now too far away to observe with either space or ground-based telescopes. NASA expects to make further observations when its orbit around the Sun brings it back into the vicinity of Earth in 2028.
Daily Mirror
12-06-2025
- Science
- Daily Mirror
NASA astronomers say it's now 'more likely' asteroid YR4 could hit the Moon
It was initially feared the asteroid would hit Earth, but the odds of a moonstrike have now been increased An asteroid scientists feared would cause havoc by striking the Earth in the year 2032 now has an increased likelihood of hitting the Moon. Asteroid 2024 YR4 is currently too distant to detect with telescopes from Earth, but NASA's James Webb Space Telescope collected one more observation of the asteroid before it escaped from view in its orbit around the Sun. With the additional data, experts from NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California further refined the asteroid's orbit. The Webb data improved our knowledge of where the asteroid will be on 22 December 22, 2032, by nearly 20%. As a result, the asteroid's probability of impacting the Moon has slightly increased from 3.8% to 4.3%. In the small chance that the asteroid were to impact, it would not alter the Moon's orbit. When asteroid 2024 YR4 was first discovered, the asteroid had a small chance of impacting Earth. After more observations, NASA concluded the object poses no significant impact risk to Earth in 2032 and beyond. As additional data comes in, it is normal for the impact probability to evolve. An international team led by Dr. Andy Rivkin from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, made the observations using Webb's Near-Infrared Camera in May. Asteroid 2024 YR4 is now too far away to observe with either space or ground-based telescopes. NASA expects to make further observations when its orbit around the Sun brings it back into the vicinity of Earth in 2028.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
This is the largest map of the universe ever made, and anyone can explore it
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, BGR may receive an affiliate commission. The universe is a big place, and while we're still unraveling the mysteries of the early universe, the James Webb Space Telescope has given us unprecedented looks at the cosmos around our little blue dot. Now, a massive trove of data from Webb has been released, including an interactive version of the largest map of the universe ever created. The map, which was shared as part of the Cosmic Evolution Survey out of Caltech, mapped out roughly 0.54 square degrees of the sky. The map, in all, weighs in at around 1.5 TB of data. It's massive, to say the least. Today's Top Deals Best deals: Tech, laptops, TVs, and more sales Best Ring Video Doorbell deals Memorial Day security camera deals: Reolink's unbeatable sale has prices from $29.98 Included among the shiny objects you can see in the largest map of the universe ever created are galaxies and stars that date back 13.5 billion years. These are some of the earliest looks at the cosmos that we have ever had as humans. This is one of those times where the internet really proves its worth to the world, giving everyone free access to this data. Researchers used James Webb's near infrared camera to map out the sky, capturing data across various stars and galaxies. And while the data is far too much for any one person to peer through alone, the interactive map means that you can easily take a look at everything Webb has collected, without having to dig into it deep enough to get lost. It also pairs really well with the most detailed map of the universe ever created. The map easily loads up in your browser, too, so you don't have to jump through hoops to take a look. You can even change the view up by interacting with the various icons on the top right, which will allow you to look at images in NIRCam, RGB, and more. This gives you the most comprehensive viewing experience for this large map of the universe. While you can't search for specific galaxies or stars based on name, you can easily sift through the map at your leisure, zooming in and out however you please. I highly recommend taking a look yourself, and enjoy the fruits of the labor that astronomers have been putting in over the past couple of years since Webb launched. More Top Deals Amazon gift card deals, offers & coupons 2025: Get $2,000+ free See the
India Today
11-06-2025
- Science
- India Today
Chances of city-killer asteroid crashing on the Moon just went up
Astronomers observing the Asteroid 2024 YR4 have raised the probability of its crashing on the Moon as it becomes James Webb Space Telescope collected one more observation of the asteroid before it escaped from view in its orbit around the Sun. Analysis has now raised its probability of impacting the Moon from 3.8% to 4.3%.When the asteroid 2024 YR4 was first discovered, the asteroid had a small chance of impacting Earth. After more observations, NASA concluded the object poses no significant impact risk to Earth in 2032 and Estimated to be about 130 to 300 feet wide, Asteroid 2024 YR4 grabbed the attention of astronomers when it rose on the NASA automated Sentry risk list on December 31, 2024. This list includes any known near-Earth asteroids that have a non-zero probability of impacting Earth in the watch!Webb was able to help refine, by nearly 20%, our knowledge of the asteroid 2024 YR4's orbit, and the (super tiny) odds of it impacting the Moon in 2032. NASA Webb Telescope (@NASAWebb) June 5, 2025Astronomers have also constructed a 3D model of asteroid 2024 YR4 using observations conducted by the Gemini South telescope in team acknowledged that the unusually-shaped rock is one of the largest objects in recent history that could impact the Moon and that it likely originated from the main asteroid 2024 YR4 is now too far away to observe with either space or ground-based telescopes. NASA expects to make further observations when the asteroid's orbit around the Sun brings it back into the vicinity of Earth in 2028.," the team said in their data has improved our knowledge of where the asteroid will be on Dec. 22, 2032, by nearly 20%.In a paper, published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters, the team had noted that the asteroid has a diameter of about 30–65 meters (98–213 feet). The analysis also revealed that the asteroid has a rapid rotation period of approximately one rotation per 20 minutes, as well as an unusual hockey-puck-like team determined that 2024 YR4 most likely originated from the main asteroid belt, with a high probability of being perturbed into its current near-Earth orbit by gravitational interactions with Jupiter.
