Terrifying live map reveals exactly what will happen when the CITY-DESTROYING asteroid hits the UK

Astronomers have identified a new space threat that has raised serious concerns. An asteroid named 2024 YR4 has a growing probability of colliding with Earth on December 2, 2032. With an estimated diameter of 300 feet (90 meters), this asteroid is about the size of the Statue of Liberty and is traveling at a staggering speed of 29,000 miles per hour (46,800 km/h). If it impacts Earth, it could unleash an explosion equivalent to 15 megatons of TNT, which is 100 times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb.

The asteroid was first spotted in late December 2024 by NASA’s Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) station in Chile. At first, scientists believed its impact probability was low, giving it just a 1.2% chance of collision. However, further calculations have doubled that estimate to 2.3%, meaning there is now a 1 in 43 chance that this asteroid will strike Earth. This probability is higher than any other large asteroid currently being tracked, making 2024 YR4 the biggest space threat to Earth at the moment.

A new impact simulation based on nuclear explosion calculations has revealed the potential devastation 2024 YR4 could cause if it struck a populated area. If the asteroid were to explode over a major city, the effects would be catastrophic. Within a 3.5-mile (5.7 km) radius, even the strongest reinforced concrete buildings would be completely demolished. Out to 5.5 miles (8.8 km), most structures would suffer heavy damage, with widespread fatalities. Even at 12 miles (19.3 km) from the impact, residential homes would be flattened. The blast wave would shatter windows and cause injuries as far as 24.6 miles (39.6 km) away.

If 2024 YR4 were to detonate over London, the impact would destroy central neighborhoods, while causing window-shattering shockwaves as far as Slough. A direct hit on Manchester, Belfast, or Edinburgh could wipe out entire city centers in seconds. Even smaller towns in the blast radius would be unrecognizable.

The damage from 2024 YR4 would be comparable to the 1908 Tunguska event, when an asteroid of similar size exploded over Siberia, leveling 830 square miles (2,150 square kilometers) of forest. More recently, in 2013, a smaller asteroid exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, injuring over 1,500 people with shockwaves that shattered windows across the region. Scientists estimate that 2024 YR4 could deliver an even greater impact than these past events.

Despite the rising impact probability, astronomers emphasize that the risk remains relatively low. Even if 2024 YR4 is on a collision course, there is only a small chance that it would hit a densely populated area. Since 71% of Earth’s surface is covered in water, the asteroid would likely crash into the ocean, minimizing casualties. However, even an ocean impact could trigger tsunamis capable of flooding coastal regions.

NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) are closely monitoring the asteroid’s orbit and expect further calculations to sharply reduce its probability of impact. Scientists explain that as more observations are collected, asteroid impact probabilities tend to decrease. They anticipate that additional tracking will confirm that 2024 YR4 poses no real danger to Earth.

If an asteroid of this size were on a definite collision course, there are strategies that could prevent disaster. NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) mission in 2022 successfully altered the trajectory of an asteroid by crashing a spacecraft into it. This confirmed that a kinetic impactor method could be used to nudge a dangerous asteroid off course—if detected early enough. Scientists are also developing alternative planetary defense strategies, including gravitational tractors and explosive deflection methods.

For now, the focus remains on monitoring and refining 2024 YR4’s trajectory. While the current probability of impact is alarming, experts assure the public that there is no imminent need for panic. The most likely outcome is that this asteroid will safely pass by Earth, but it serves as a reminder that planetary defense is an urgent global priority. The continued development of asteroid tracking and deflection technology is crucial to ensuring that future space threats do not catch humanity unprepared.