NASA specialists and a team of international arXiv scientists are conducting research on destroying asteroid 2024 YR4 before it collides with the Earth or the Moon. This was reported by Zamin.uz.
They are considering options to eliminate the threat of the asteroid using a nuclear strike. The researchers have proposed two main methods.
The first is to change the asteroid's orbit by altering its trajectory in another direction. The second is to completely fragment the asteroid using a powerful nuclear weapon.
According to the scientists, a one-megaton nuclear strike may be sufficient to destroy the asteroid. The asteroid was detected in December 2024 and has an estimated diameter of about 60 meters.
The shape of the space object resembles a hockey puck, and it has a very rapid rotation. It completes a full rotation around its axis every 20 minutes.
The researchers emphasize that the asteroid separated from the main belt between Mars and Jupiter and is rich in silicate materials. Current estimates indicate that the probability of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting the Earth is 0.28%, while the chance of collision with the Moon is approximately 4%.
In both cases, the consequences could be serious. If it hits the Earth, the explosion's power would be two thousand times stronger than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
If the asteroid strikes the Moon, massive dust particles could spread, potentially damaging satellites, space telescopes, and space stations. The final decision will be made by the end of 2028, when the asteroid's threat level will be reassessed once again.
