Asteroid Watch gets boost from James Webb Space Telescope

On By Littum

Race to understand more about the asteroid that – right now – has a 1.8% chance to collide with the ground In December 2032, a boost from a heavy hitter in heavenly observation: James Webb -Room Telescope.

In one Blog post Monday, confirming that the telescope would observe The near-asteroid known as 2024 Yr4-the European Space Agency (ESA) said the telescope will help astronomers more precisely to determine the size and temperature of the asteroid as the asteroid takes it further from the sun. The asteroid is moving away from Earth now on its orbital path, so a larger telescope like webb can help narrow the true orbit of the asteroid.

The web-telescope, launched in 2021 as an international partnership of NASA, ESA and the Canadian Space Agency, brings several benefits over the ground-based telescopes that track the asteroid: its ability to perceive light from a large swatch of the infrared area of the electromagnetic spectrum and its vantage point 1 million miles from the ground.

What are the chances of 2024 YR4 colliding with the Earth?

Very small – so far. Newer observation data last week set the chances of a collision with the Earth of 1.8%, which is slightly from the 1.2% estimate published on January 29. But researchers expect further data and observations to help astronomers refine the asteroid’s orbit.

At present, the line measures 500 possible asteroid positions (depicted below) on December 22, 2032 1.2 million miles long. The 1.8% risk assessment is only the ratio of the soil diameter and that line.

According to an ESA -Blog from 6 February by the end of this month the object will be “Too weak to even professional, 4 m-class telescopes to see,” Which makes the use of the web telephony to refining calculations even more crucial.

How big is 2024 YR4?

An analysis of NASAS JPL/CNEOS has estimated the asteroid to be anywhere from 130 to 300 feet wide, a figure that has not changed much since the object’s discovery on December 27. It was first spotted on the asteroid terrestrial influence on the last alarm system (atlas) telescope in Rio Hurtado, Chile.

In that size, ESA published in a statement on January 29, an influence on the ground “May cause serious damage to a local region.”

“It is very important that we improve our size estimate in 2024 years ESA wrote in a blog post 10 February.

Asteroid 2024 YR4 also assesses 3 on 10 on Turin Impact Hazard Scalea method of astronomers to categorize and judge the threat of near-earth objects

Where is the asteroid now?

2024 YR4 follows an elliptical course around the sun. Although the current projections do not constitute an immediate influence threat toward the earth is its Orbit brings it close to the Earth’s orbit Occasionally.

“It is rare to have an asteroid with a non-zero probability of hitting the ground,” Heidi Hammel, Vice President of the Planetary Society’s Board of Directors, said in a news message. “At this point, astronomers have measured the orbit of the object, and further observations will refine this trajectory to give us a more accurate understanding of its potential danger.”

How will James Webb Space Telescope help track 2024 YR4?

The Webb Telescope launched Christmas Day in 2021 and made a splash seven months later when the first images were released in July 2022.

Two of these instruments, the almost infrared camera (Nircam) and mid-infrared instrument (Miri), will help astronomers trace 2024 YR4’s position and size and better inform NASA and ESA of any danger to its orbital path.

The web telescope, whose observation time is in great demand from institutions around the world, has observing time set aside for time-critical discoveries, such as 2024 years.

Contributing: Eric Lagatta

Sources: NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS); European Space Agency; Reuters