Is an Asteroid Hitting Earth in 2032? Updates on NASA-Predicted Path – Hollywood Life
An asteroid is coming close to Earth in the future — but officials urge the public not to panic. Just days after astronomers initially insisted that the likelihood of a direct hit of the planet was low, they increased the probability by another percent. So, is a comet actually going to hit Earth in 2032? If so, what will happen to humanity?
The prediction is eerily similar to the plot from the 2020 Netflix comedy Don’t Look Up, starring Jennifer Lawrence, Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Rob Morgan, Jonah Hill, Ariana Grande, Melanie Lynskey, Tyler Perry, Cate Blanchett, Kid Cudi, Timothée Chalamet and several other well-known actors.
Below, we have all the updates that NASA has shared so far about the 2032 astroid.
And now, it’s time for a special announcement…📡 Leonardo DiCaprio reminds us “there is a huge comet headed towards earth” in this exclusive script-to-screen from Adam McKay’s Academy Award® nominated film, #DontLookUp. pic.twitter.com/VnZiECajqu
— dontlookupfilm (@dontlookupfilm) March 17, 2022
Will an Asteroid Hit Earth in 2032?
At the time of publication, there is a 2.3 percent chance of an asteroid — called 2024 YR4 — hitting the planet in 2032, according to NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies. Less than a week prior to NASA’s prediction, the European Space Agency announced there was just a 1.3 percent likelihood of a direct hit of Earth.
Astronomers predicted that the asteroid could hit Earth on December 22, 2032, per The Guardian. The outlet further reported that the “city killer” comet is roughly 90 meters in width, which is around the same size as the Tunguska asteroid that impacted a large portion of the Siberian forest in 1908.
Skywatchers first spotted the 2032 asteroid in Chile shortly before 2025 began.
What Happens if an Asteroid Hits Earth?
If the 2024 YR4 upcoming asteroid directly hits Earth, CBS News reported that the explosion from it would equate to around eight megatons of TNT, which is more than 500 times the explosiveness of the Hiroshima bomb. If YR4 explodes over an ocean, the impact to humanity would be less dangerous. However, if it approaches a coastline, a tsunami could be triggered.
When Was the Last Time an Asteroid Almost Hit Earth?
According to NASA, Earth actually gets hit by smaller objects all the time; people just don’t know when a minor object impacts the planet because of how small they are. However, the last known fireball event was in 2013 when an asteroid the size of a small building disintegrated 20 kilometers above the Russian city of Chelyabinsk.
