Giant asteroid the size of Statue of Liberty has potential to wipe out Ireland in 2032

A giant asteroid is hurtling in the direction of Earth and is a 130 to 300 feet wide space rock called 2024 Y24.

David Moore, Astronomy Ireland, said that the asteroid would be a "country killer" if it strikes Earth.

According to Dublin Live, the asteroid has triggered a global defence plan as it could hit Earth in the year 2032 and has been moved to the top of the list for impact threats to human existence by the US and European space agencies.

NASA analysis of a near-Earth asteroid, designated 2024 YR4, indicates it has a more than 1% chance of impacting Earth on Dec. 22, 2032 – which also means there is about a 99% chance this asteroid will not impact, according to a press release by NASA.

Such initial analysis will change over time as more observations are gathered, NASA said.  

 "Currently, no other known large asteroids have an impact probability above 1% and the asteroid, which is estimated to be about 130 to 300 feet wide, caught astronomers’ attention when it rose on the NASA automated Sentry risk list on Dec. 31, 2024

The Sentry list includes any known near-Earth asteroids that have a non-zero probability of impacting Earth in the future.  

There have been several objects in the past that have risen on the risk list and eventually dropped off as more data have come in. New observations may result in reassignment of this asteroid to 0 as more data come in," said NASA.

NASA analysis of near-Earth asteroid 2024 YR4 indicates it has >1% chance of impacting Earth on Dec. 22, 2032, which also means there's ~99% chance this asteroid will not impact. Such initial analysis will change over time as more observations are gathered https://t.co/LMFH12K9N8 pic.twitter.com/WyXh0uUqeq

— NASA Asteroid Watch (@AsteroidWatch) January 29, 2025

According to Reuters Science News, "There's no need to panic just yet...Asteroid 2024 YR4 has an almost 99% of safely missing Earth on December 22, 2032." 

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Star Walk on X, has predicted the asteroids impact range if it does end up hitting Earth.

"A 1/88 chance to hit Earth....where exactly will it hit?....some pretty populated places like Mumbai, India, parts of the Arabian Peninsula, and some other countries in Africa like Nigeria and Ghana.....it is also likely to pass over the Atlantic and into South America."