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2024 YR4 facts for kids
2024 YR4 (centered) tracked by the Very Large Telescope in January 2025
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|
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | ATLAS–CHL (W68) |
| Discovery site | Río Hurtado, Chile |
| Discovery date | 27 December 2024 |
| Designations | |
| MPC designation | 2024 YR4 |
| Orbital characteristics(JPL) | |
| Epoch 5 May 2025 (JD 2460800.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 4 | |
| Observation arc | 63 days |
| Earliest precovery date | 25 December 2024 |
| Aphelion | 4.180 AU |
| Perihelion | 0.8515 AU |
| 2.5159 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.6616 |
| 3.991 yr (1457.62 days) |
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| 40.40° | |
|
Mean motion
|
0.2470° per day |
| Inclination | 3.408° |
| 271.366° | |
| 22 November 2024 (UTC) 19 November 2028 (UTC) 21 November 2032 (UTC) |
|
| 134.361° | |
| Earth MOID | 0.00283 AU (423,000 km; 1.10 LD) |
| Jupiter MOID | 1.2715 AU |
| Physical characteristics | |
|
Mean diameter
|
|
| 0.32440 ± 0.00002 h (19.4640 ± 0.0012 min) | |
| S (most likely), L, or K | |
| 24 (13 February) 25 (26 February) 29.4 (2026 opposition) |
|
| 24.05±0.15 (phase corrected) 23.96±0.28 (JPL) |
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2024 YR4 is an asteroid that is classified as an Apollo-type (Earth-crossing) near-Earth object with an estimated diameter of 40 to 90 metres (130 to 300 ft), which from 27 January to 20 February 2025 had an impact rating of 3 on the Torino scale. As of 26 February 2025[update] it has a rating of 0 on the Torino scale, with a 1-in-91,000 (0.0011%) chance of impacting Earth on 22 December 2032, and a rating of −3.61 on the Palermo scale, corresponding to an impact hazard 0.02% of the background level. The uncertainty region for the path of its potential impact in 2032 is 540,000 thousand km (340,000 thousand mi) wide. The nominal approach on 22 December 2032 has the asteroid passing closer to the Moon than it does to Earth, but the 3-sigma uncertainty in the distances is less than a lunar distance (as of February 2025[update]). There is a 1.7% chance of the asteroid impacting into the Moon around 15:19 UT on 22 December 2032.
The asteroid was discovered by the Chilean station of the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) at Río Hurtado on 27 December 2024. When additional observations suggested it had an impact probability of over 1%, it triggered the first step in planetary-defense responses, which prompted several major telescopes to gather data about the asteroid and led United Nations–endorsed space agencies to begin planning asteroid threat mitigation.
The asteroid made a close approach to Earth at a distance of 828,800 kilometres (515,000 miles; 2.156 lunar distances) on 25 December 2024, two days before its discovery, and is now moving away. Its next close approach will take place on 17 December 2028. From early April 2025 to June 2028, the asteroid is expected to be too distant for ground-based telescopes to observe. However, space-based infrared telescopes could continue monitoring it during some of this period; for example, the James Webb Space Telescope is scheduled to observe it between March and May 2025. Preliminary analysis of spectral and photometric time series suggests that 2024 YR4 is a stony S-type (most likely), L-type or K-type asteroid, with a rotation period of approximately 19.5 minutes. A number of known asteroids, including other virtual impactors, follow orbits somewhat consistent with that of 2024 YR4.
See also
In Spanish: 2024 YR4 para niños
- Asteroid impact avoidance
- 99942 Apophis