By asteroid that will impact with the Earth, the UN activated the planetary security protocol

An asteroid has caused the United Nations Organization (UN) to activate the Planetary security protocol, which was created in order to alert when there is the probability of a cosmic impact that exceeds 1%. It is about asteroid 2024 yr4 And it has the risk of being very close to Earth, so the recent activation of the protocol, according to reports of the European Space Agency (ESA).

The discovery of this asteroid, carried out in December 2024 by the asteroid alert system Atlas in Chile, He alerts international space agencies. While the probability of an impact is still small, reaching only 1.3% according to the most recent calculations, the Him And international scientific agencies cannot ignore the threat, since the figure is above the threshold that activates the global response.

(Also read: Asteroid “God of Chaos” will fall on earth in 2029?)

He asteroide 2024 YR4, which has caught the attention of scientists around the world, has been classified at level 3 of Torino’s impact risk scale, indicating that, although it is not an imminent threat, it deserves surveillance and monitoring. The huge rocky body of between 40 and 100 meters in diameter is expected to December 22, 2032.

This type of space objects can cause significant damage in case of collision, especially if they impact inhabited areas. Space agencies, such as NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA), They are making constant monitoring of their trajectory, and have identified possible impact areas that include regions in the Atlantic Ocean, North Africa and South Asia.

Despite the uncertainty about the final trajectory of the asteroid, Specialists agree that, today, there is 98.5% probability that 2024 YR4 does not collide with the earth. However, planetary defense agencies do not risk leaving anything to chance and have begun to prepare action plans against any eventuality, so that as more data is still collected, more informed decisions can be made.

You could try to move the earth asteroid away

The activation of Planetary Security Protocol It implies that the international spatial agencies are prepared to the impact due to the probabilities that are there, because a global response had never been implemented before.

ESA

One of the biggest challenges is the size of the asteroid and uncertainty about its exact mass. While some studies suggest that it could be smaller than estimated, others indicate that their size could be in the range of 50 meters or more.

In the event that the probability of impact increases in the coming years, space agencies such as NASA and the ESA They could consider the possibility of diverting the asteroid using advanced space technology. An example of this technology was demonstrated in 2022, when the mission NASA Dart He successfully diverted a smaller asteroid.

The options to move the asteroid away

If it is determined that the asteroid It represents a real threat in the near future, there are several options to mitigate the effects of a possible impact. Depending on their size and trajectory, the strategies could vary from the use of spacecraft to change the asteroid orbit to the evacuation of potential impact zones.

In fact, some scientists are already considering the possibility of preparing populations that may be affected, especially in regions of southern Asia and Africa. The coordinator of the ESA planetary defense office, Luis Cano, mentioned that, if the asteroide 2024 YR4 It turns out to be smaller than estimated, deviation options could be less necessary, and the evacuation of high -risk areas could be the most viable response.

However, he also stressed the importance of not generating unnecessary panic, since the chances of the impact will remain low.

Asteroid 2024 YR4 will approach Earth in 2028

He asteroide 2024 YR4, that currently moves away from the earth, will remain outside our field of vision until 2028, when it approaches again. During this period, scientific agencies will intensify their monitoring using the most advanced telescopes available, such as Very Large Telescope (VLT) en Chile, to obtain more precise data on its size and trajectory. These data will be crucial to update the probabilities of impact and determine whether the threat persists or if the situation can be considered resolved.

The International Network of Asteroid Alert (IAWN), chaired by the NASA, and the Space Missions Planning Advisory Group (SMPAG)under the coordination of ESA, they are working together to manage this situation. These groups, which have already begun to evaluate the possible impact of asteroid 2024 YR4, will meet in the coming months to discuss the steps to follow, including the evaluation of possible space missions to divert the asteroid if necessary.