What in the World - Could an asteroid hit the earth in 2032?

Download Could an asteroid hit the earth in 2032?

At the end of last year, astronomers detected 2024 YR4, an asteroid that could collide with Earth on the 22nd December 2032. It was dubbed the ‘city-killer’ and news reports warned of Armageddon, comparing the potential impact to a nuclear bomb explosion. But since YR4’s discovery, space agencies and scientists have been studying the asteroid’s size, potential path and what we can do to divert it. There’s only the tiniest risk it will hit earth and experts say there’s no need for alarm.

BBC science and climate reporter Georgina Rannard talks us through all the details of Asteroid 2024 YR4, and gives a quick history of how we’ve managed asteroids in the past.

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Presenter: Hannah Gelbart
Producers: Emily Horler, Adam Chowdhury and Benita Barden
Editor: Verity Wilde

Published on Monday, 3rd March 2025.

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