Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson warns about mansion-sized asteroid that could hit Earth in 2032

Renowned astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson warned that a gargantuan asteroid with enough power to level entire cities is on track to hit Earth in 2032.Asteroid 2024 YR4, which was first identified as a threat at the end of last year, is currently estimated to be 130 to 300 feet wide.It has a 2.3% chance of smacking Earth when it approaches on Dec.

22, 2032, according to NASA — nearly two times higher odds than when it first cropped up on the space agency’s radar.As the asteroid’s chances of hitting Earth climbed, Tyson took to X on Friday to advise against defunding science programs that could be vital to protect against the potentially catastrophic space rock.“At the moment, mansion-sized Asteroid 2024-YR4 has a one-in-fifty chance of hitting Earth in the next eight years.Now might be a bad time to reduce spending on Science.

Just sayin,” Tyson wrote.If space rock were to hit Earth, the rippling blast would be almost equal to detonating 7.7 megatons of TNT, according to experts.It would also be about 500 times more powerful than the atomic bomb that the United States dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II.While the odds of contact are still low, the asteroid presents a slim chance of what could be a mass casualty disaster.

Astronomers are keeping a close eye on it in case it becomes a legitimately serious threat, so they can plan a defense mission accordingly.This type of planning and programming requires funds that currently hang precariously in the balance.The National Science Foundation, an independent government agency and the largest funder of scientific research in the nation, froze its approval process for grants and new spending following an executive order from President Trump that placed a pause on all federal grants.While the executive order has since been paused by a federal judge, the NSF has yet to resume its funding.

It had also been informed in early February that it should prepare to lose half its staff and two-thirds...