An asteroid becomes a meteorite when it travels to Earth from a nearby orbit or the outer solar system and collides with Earth, according to the United States Geological Survey. Small asteroids ...

NASA officials have discovered a new asteroid that has a small chance of hitting Earth in December 2032. The near-Earth asteroid has been named 2024 YR4 and is estimated to be 40 to 90 meters wide.

Chilling animations depict the apocalyptic impact that “city-killer” asteroid YR4 2024 could have if it did hit Earth — while astronomers warn that the moon could be in the line of fire as well.

YR4 has a roughly 2 percent chance of hitting Earth in 2032, and “is large enough to cause localized damage,” NASA says.

Where things stand: The chances of the asteroid hitting Earth currently stand at 2.1%, or about 1 in 47, and could fall to ...

Astronomers say the asteroid, estimated at 40-90 m (131-295 ft.) in diameter, could impact Earth on Dec. 22, 2032. “It is ...

The asteroid, dubbed 2024 YR4, has a 2.3% chance of colliding with Earth on Dec. 22, 2032, according to a NASA update on Feb.

The $10 billion orbiting observatory will give astronomers a better sense of the near-Earth asteroid 2024 YR4's size and ...

There is a 2 percent chance that seven years from now, “the city destroyer” will hit Earth with the force of an 8-megaton ...

In an update issued on February 7, NASA said the probability of 2024 YR4 hitting the Earth had gone from around 1.2 percent (one-in-83) to 2.3 percent (one-in-23).

While NASA says the chances of a collision with Earth are “extremely low,” the probability has been increasing since the space rock was discovered weeks ago.