60-Meter Asteroid Could Slam the Moon in 2032, Opening a Rare Lunar Science Window
Asteroid 2024 YR4, about 60 meters wide, could strike the Moon in December 2032 with roughly a 4.3% probability, releasing energy comparable to 6.5 million tons of TNT and creating a ~1-km crater visible from Earth. The impact could trigger Moonquakes and reveal subsurface details, while lunar debris might reach Earth’s orbit and threaten satellites, prompting a debate between potential deflection (as demonstrated by NASA’s DART mission) and pursuing scientific observations of the event.