NASA raises the odds that an asteroid could hit the moon in 2032

Asteroid 2024 YR4, once considered the highest-impact risk to Earth ever recorded, now poses no threat to our planet but has slightly increased its odds of hitting the moon in 2032—from 3.8% to 4.3%, according to NASA. The James Webb Space Telescope recently helped refine its trajectory by 20%. First detected in late 2023, the asteroid briefly sparked alarm with a 3.1% chance of impacting Earth, but later data ruled out all future Earth threats, Space.com has reported. While a lunar impact is unlikely and not dangerous, the asteroid gave scientists a valuable real-world test of planetary defense systems.