MAN BAGS EIGHT YEARS IMPRISONMENT FOR N132M MONEY LAUNDERING IN LAGOS . (PHOTO). #PRESS RELEASE
A massive asteroid, estimated to be around 300ft (90 meters) in diameter, is currently hurtling towards Earth, with astronomers warning of a significantly increased risk of impact by 2032. According to NASA's Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), the chances of the asteroid, designated 2024 YR, striking Earth on December 22, 2032, have risen to 2.3%, or a 1-in-43 chance.
This updated assessment represents a substantial increase from the European Space Agency's (ESA) previous estimate of 1.3% just a year ago. While the likelihood of impact remains relatively low, astronomers are closely monitoring the situation.
The asteroid's size is comparable to the Tunguska asteroid, which devastated a vast area of remote Siberian forest in 1908. However, astronomers are urging calm, emphasizing that the probability of the asteroid passing by without incident is approximately 99%.
The asteroid was first spotted by NASA-funded skywatchers using a telescope in Chile just before the new year. Its discovery has propelled it to the top of official impact risk lists on both sides of the Atlantic, with a rare rating of three on the Torino Impact Hazard Scale, which ranges from zero (no risk) to 10 (civilization-ending).
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