March 5 (UPI) -- NASA on Thursday walked back a prediction that an asteroid had a "small, but notable" chance of impacting Earth or the moon in 2032 based on newly analyzed data.
Scientists said that near-Earth asteroid 2024 YR4 is expected to pass by the lunar surface from more than 13,000 miles away, after previous concerns that it was destined for an impact with Earth's natural satellite.
The update, which comes as 2024 YR4 has been unobservable from nearly all Earth and space-based observatories since spring 2025, is based on "where the asteroid is expected to be in 2032 rather than a shift in its orbital path," NASA said in a news release.
"Over time, with more observations collected by observatories around the world, NASA concluded the object poses no significant risk to Earth on Dec. 22, 2032, or through the next century," the space agency said. "It's typical to have initial observations and risk models updated once additional observational data is gathered and models are able to be refined."
Related
