"The 'City-Killer' Asteroid: A Threat or Just a Scarescrow?

The "City-Killer" Asteroid: A Threat or Just a Scarescrow?

As snowboarders, we're no strangers to calculated risks. However, when it comes to asteroids, caution is essential. In this post, we'll examine the potential threat posed by 2024 YR4, a massive asteroid with a greater than one percent chance of colliding with Earth in approximately eight years.

Understanding the Threat

Asteroid enthusiasts might be excited by the prospect of tracking this massive celestial body as it follows a highly elliptical orbit, swinging through the inner planets before shooting past Mars and out toward Jupiter. However, for scientists like Bruce Betts, chief scientist at The Planetary Society, understanding the potential consequences is crucial.

"The possibility of a colossal explosion in the sky, unleashing energy hundreds of times greater than the Hiroshima bomb... A blinding flash nearly as bright as the Sun. Shockwaves powerful enough to flatten everything for miles," Betts explained. "While it may sound apocalyptic, a newly detected asteroid nearly the size of a football field now has a greater than one percent chance of colliding with Earth in about eight years."

The City-Killer: A Real Concern

2024 YR4 falls into the "city killer" category – a classification that's both fascinating and terrifying. According to Betts, if it were to hit Paris or London or New York, it would essentially wipe out the entire city and its surrounding areas. The thought alone sends shivers down our spines.

The Science Behind the Threat

So, what does this mean for us? Let's dive into the numbers. According to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, there is a 1.6 percent chance that the asteroid will strike Earth on December 22, 2032. If it does hit, possible impact sites include over the eastern Pacific Ocean, northern South America, the Atlantic Ocean, Africa, the Arabian Sea, and South Asia.

Preparation is Key

Experts stress that we have plenty of time to prepare. Andrew Rivkin, a planetary astronomer at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, led the investigation for NASA's 2022 DART mission, which successfully nudged an asteroid off its course using a spacecraft – a strategy known as a "kinetic impactor."

"We can calculate the energy... using the mass and the speed," Rivkin said. For 2024 YR4, the explosion from an airburst would equal around eight megatons of TNT – more than 500 times the power of the Hiroshima bomb.

A Plan for Defense

If all else fails, the long warning time means authorities could evacuate the impact zone. However, let's not jump to conclusions just yet. As Kelly Fast, acting planetary defense officer at NASA, reassures us: "Nobody should be scared about this... We can find these things, make these predictions and have the ability to plan."

Conclusion

As snowboarders, we know that sometimes the best way to tackle a challenge is to face it head-on. In this case, that means recognizing the threat posed by 2024 YR4 and preparing for the worst. Whether through kinetic impactors or gravity tractors, we have the technology to stop this "city-killer" asteroid in its tracks.

Let's gear up and get ready to take on this challenge – together!

Edward Lance Arellano Lorilla

CEO / Co-Founder

Enjoy the little things in life. For one day, you may look back and realize they were the big things. Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.