NASA has definitively ruled out any possibility of the asteroid '2024 YR4' colliding with the Moon in 2032, according to new observations from the James Webb Space Telescope. Earlier calculations of the asteroid's orbit had indicated a slight chance of it hitting the Moon at a 4.3% probability. However, improved readings from the James Webb Space Telescope, collected last February, confirmed that the asteroid will pass at a safe distance of 13,200 miles from the Moon's surface on December 22, 2032. The asteroid, which is about 200 feet in diameter (the size of a 15-story building), was discovered in late 2024 by an early warning system in Chile. In early 2025, short-lived concerns arose about a potential impact with Earth, but this scenario was quickly ruled out, while the uncertainty about a potential lunar impact persisted for longer. Since the spring of 2025, the asteroid has become too faint to be observed, until the James Webb Space Telescope's camera captured it last month, finally resolving the matter in favor of a safe passage. It is worth noting that initial orbital predictions for near-Earth asteroids are often inaccurate enough to suggest a potential impact. Subsequent studies usually rule out such a collision.
