The possibility of the asteroid 2024 YR4 impacting our planet might not be ruled out until 2028, raising the prospect we’ll need to prepare for the worst

It's actually good news that NASA spotted a sizable asteroid with a (small) chance of hitting Earth in 2032. It means our asteroid-sleuthing telescopes are working.

NASA has identified an asteroid with a more than 1 percent chance of striking Earth in December 2032, per a statement released by the agency this week. While the identification has triggered international planetary defense measures,

YR4, which was recently spotted in the cosmos with a non-zero chance of hitting Earth in the coming years, may have caused some alarm.

Researchers say there’s a 1.3 percent chance that the space rock 2024 YR4 could strike our planet — but not until December 2032.

A recently discovered, sizable asteroid may come within striking distance of Earth in less than eight years. But although the rock is potentially even larger than the one believed responsible for the historic Tunguska event in 1908, the odds are currently in humanity’s favor.

A newly discovered asteroid has a tiny chance of striking Earth in 2032. NASA and the European Space Agency said Wednesday the chance of impact is slightly more than 1%.