NASA has stated that the likelihood of an asteroid, approximately 200 feet in diameter, colliding with the Moon has now increased. According to the latest data collected, NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory has refined its analysis of the asteroid’s expected course, increasing the probability of a collision with the Moon on December 22, 2032, to 4.3%. This is up from the previous estimate of 3.8%. The asteroid is currently too far away to be detected by ground-based telescopes. However, the James Webb Space Telescope, which orbits the Sun, managed to capture new images of the asteroid just before it moved out of view earlier this month. This data contributed to the revised prediction. Due to the asteroid’s solar orbit, NASA won’t be able to observe it again until it returns in 2028. According to a research paper published in the journal of the American Astronomical Society, if the asteroid were to collide with the Moon, it could create a crater up to approximately 3,200 feet wide and release 6.5 megatons of energy.
