The likelihood of asteroid 2024 YR4 pummelling into the moon in December 2032 has been increased by new data gathered by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) by NASA. Feared to be the largest Earth impact threat ever detected, the asteroid’s odds of striking the Moon are now 4.3 percent, compared with 3.8 percent, as per a NASA release. The update comes after scientists refined its predicted path by nearly 20% using JWST’s Near-Infrared Camera. While the asteroid is currently too far to observe from Earth, its May reappearance offered a rare window to recalculate its future orbit.

Asteroid 2024 YR4 Now Deemed Safe as NASA Confirms No Earth Impact Risk in 2032 or Beyond

As per a NASA update and findings led by Andy Rivkin at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, even a direct impact would not disturb the Moon’s orbit, Astronomer Pawan Kumar, formerly of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, agreed the risk is negligible, explaining that debris from such a collision would either remain lunar-bound or disintegrate in Earth’s atmosphere. Asteroid 2024 YR4, about the size of a 10-story building, was discovered in December 2023. The flying space rock had a 3.1 percent chance of hitting Earth, the highest probability a big asteroid has ever had of striking the planet.

The asteroid captured world attention early in 2024 when it appeared that it could strike the planet over a wide region that included the Pacific, South America, Africa, and Asia. While NASA dismissed tsunami threats, an airburst over a populated region could have shattered windows and caused minor damage. However, by February 24, after extensive observation, the agency officially ruled out any danger, reducing the Earth impact probability to 0.004%.

Additional telescope data from Chile and Hawaii traced 2024 YR4’s origin to the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. It transitioned into a near-Earth orbit over time. The space rock is now beyond visual range but will re-enter telescope visibility in 2028, allowing scientists another opportunity to study its physical characteristics and update trajectory estimates.

Though now deemed safe, the asteroid served as a real-world rehearsal for planetary defense systems. “2024 YR4 is a tailor-made asteroid for planetary defense efforts,” Kumar noted. From initial detection to global communication, the episode provided a full-cycle test of how Earth would react to a genuine asteroid threat, offering invaluable insights for future preparedness.

NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope captures mid-infrared wavelength images of the Sombrero Galaxy in late 2024. The James Webb of NASA, on June 3, 2025, released an image of the Sombrero Galaxy, occupied with stars that illuminate when the dust towards the outer edges of the discs blocks the light. The Sombrero Galaxy study by JWST and the Hubble telescope, at different wavelengths, near-infrared and mid-infrared, gives astronomers an understanding of the formation and evolution of gas, dust, and stars, along with the interplay of the material.

Near-Infrared Image Highlights Dust and Star Formation

NASA’s observation about this near-infrared snap of the Sombrero Galaxy, caught with the JWST camera, shows the striking contrast between the luminous core of the galaxy along the dusty outer disk. This image shows how the dust lane blocks the light coming from the stars at the edges of the galaxy. The tightly packed central bulge contains roughly 2,000 star clusters, illuminating in the near-infrared wavelengths.

Comparative Insights from Mid-Infrared and Near-Infrared Observations

By comparing this new near-infrared image with the old image of Webb, which was released in late 2024, astronomers can understand the formation and evolution of the dust, stars, and gases within the galaxy. The mid-infrared image showed the glowing dust in the outer ring, however, the infrared view demonstrates how effectively these wavelengths pass. This reveals the full stellar bulge packed with stars.

Split-View Reveals Stellar and Dust Distribution Differences

A near inspection of this split-view image, near the infrared on one side, and mid-infrared towards the other side, shows the differences in the appearance of galactic components. In the near infrared, red giant stars stand out, whereas the hotter blue stars blur away, and the outer disk looks patchier because of the variations in the distribution of the dust.

Signs of Ancient Galactic Mergers in the Sombrero Galaxy

The Webb’s survey regarding multi-wavelength supports the theory that the Sombrero Galaxy underwent the past mergers at least more than one. The warped inner disk presence, chemical diversity among the globular clusters, and clumpy dust structures lead to a complex formation of interactions with other galaxies, billions of years ago.

In a study conducted on June 7, 2025, NASA’s Perseverance stayed and continued the descent into the flat surface further ahead of the Jezero Crater on Mars. Scientists have suggested that this region may contain some of the oldest rocks studied on the surface of Mars. This states that it is a prime location for uncovering insights into the ancient history of the planet. As of now, Perseverance is roving at Fallbreen, an outcrop of light-toned bedrock that provides a promising opportunity for analysis by geology.

Comparing Fallbreen and Copper Cove: Clues to Mars’ Past

According to NASA’s team of scientists, they are focused on the comparison of Fallbreen to the olivine-rich outcrop called Copper Cove. These kinds of comparisons can offer a closer look towards the major geologic unit occupied by carbonate and olivine. This is known as the formation that spreads hundreds of kilometres west of Jezero Crater. After knowing the rock formation, researchers gained a strong understanding of Mars’s surface and the surrounding circumstances that were billions of years ago using NASA’s Perseverance’s data.

Perseverance Entering the Forlandet Quadrangle

Path of Perseverance recently passed a key boundary as it further moved from Copper Cove and reached the Forlandet quadrangle. This region is around 1.2 square kilometres, surrounded by the crater’s edge, called Fortland National Park in the Svalbard archipelago. The name of the region is kept in honour of the park’s history. Dutch explorers discovered this in the 16th century by the mystery of the Arctic.

Spirit of Exploration: From Svalbard to Mars

Svalbard was explored by some brave soldiers in search of the Northwest Passage. Perseverance is rovering around the sand dunes and also towards the rocky buttes, searching for the challenges of Mars along with endurance and curiosity.

Naming Martian Features After Earthly Locations

At its time in the Forlandet quadrangle, it will encounter target rocks and various other landforms. These will be further named as per the locations in and around Norway’s Forlandet National Park, which links the exploration of Mars to the legacy of Earth’s discovery. The names kept will be a tribute to the past and present explorers’ perseverance.