Scientists have indicated that the likelihood of an asteroid colliding with Earth has nearly doubled.
According to NASA, a fast-approaching asteroid could potentially hit Earth on December 22, 2032. The probability of impact is 2.1%, while there is a 97.9% chance that it will pass close to Earth without colliding. However, if it does strike, it could have severe consequences for several countries in South America, South Asia, and Africa.
NASA’s Terrestrial Impact Last Alert System Station in Chile first discovered this asteroid in December 2024. Initially, the chances of collision were estimated at 1.3%, yet NASA still classified it as one of the most hazardous space objects.
According to the European Space Agency (ESA), experts worldwide are using advanced telescopes to determine the asteroid’s precise orbit. However, merely measuring its trajectory does not reveal how severe the impact would be if it were to hit Earth.
David Rankin, a scientist from NASA’s Catalina Sky Survey Project, stated that the asteroid’s potential impact zone is quite broad, extending across South America, the Pacific Ocean, South Asia, the Arabian Sea, and Africa.
The potentially affected countries include Venezuela, Colombia, and Ecuador in South America; India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh in South Asia; and Ethiopia, Sudan, and Nigeria in Africa.
If the asteroid collides with Earth, it could cause severe destruction, with the exact impact location depending on Earth’s rotation at the time of collision.
It is worth noting that in 1908, a similar-sized asteroid struck Siberia, causing the Tunguska Event, which destroyed an 830-square-kilometer area.
