Asteroid 2024 YR4, initially flagged earlier this year for a potential collision with Earth, has been re-evaluated following new research. This asteroid, which is shaped like a hockey puck, is believed to originate from the central region of the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter—an area not commonly associated with asteroids that could cross Earth’s path. After its discovery in December 2022, early calculations suggested a potential collision risk by January 2033. However, subsequent observations significantly reduced this threat to nearly zero by late February.
Recent imagery captured by the James Webb Space Telescope confirmed the asteroid’s safe trajectory, and additional observations from the Gemini Southern Telescope and Keck Observatory bolstered evidence of its unexpected origins. Notably, 2024 YR4’s retrograde spin and the Jarkovsky effect, which causes asteroids to drift inward due to uneven sunlight exposure, played crucial roles in its journey toward Earth’s orbit.
The asteroid’s rotation period is a mere 20 minutes, and its uniquely flat shape differs from the typical potato or top shapes of most asteroids. Scientists speculate that it may have originated from a larger parent asteroid that fractured into smaller pieces. This research, which enhances understanding of asteroid properties and their potential threats to Earth, is set to be published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters.
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