The Moon Is Safe, For Now: No Collision In 2032 After All

Asteroid 2024 YR4, which briefly had up to a 4% chance of hitting Earth in 2032, has been confirmed by JWST observations to pose no threat to either Earth or the Moon. The trajectory has been refined to show a miss of at least 20,000 km from the Moon. Earlier, an Earth impact was ruled out and attention shifted to a potential lunar strike, which scientists saw as a scientific opportunity. JWST's observations have now eliminated that possibility as well. NASA and ESA continue to develop planetary defense capabilities, including kinetic impactor testing.