The Observer view: when an asteroid is hurtling to Earth, do you head for the pub or the church? | Observer editorial

2024 YR4, a lump of rock the size of a building, may be heading our way, but don’t start stockpiling the tinned carrots yet

Following the possible trajectory of 2024 YR4 – AKA the scariest asteroid ever detected – is not for the nervous of disposition. Is it going to hit us, or not? Every day, a different answer.

Last Tuesday, Nasa calculated it had a 3.1% chance of hitting Earth in 2032, and so some people set to worrying. Twenty-four hours later, however, the agency provided an update. New observations, made since the passing of the full moon, show it now has a 1.5% chance of impact. Time to exhale? Not necessarily.

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