Asteroid "City Killer" is heading towards Earth: not much time left until impact

SENSATION IN SPACE: "CITY KILLER" WILL FLY PAST EARTH

Astronomers have discovered a space object that has received the ominous nickname "city killer." The asteroid, with a diameter of 50-70 meters, possesses destructive power equivalent to an explosion of millions of tons of TNT—sufficient for the complete destruction of a large metropolis, as reported by Ren TV.

Initial trajectory calculations caused serious alarm in the scientific community: the probability of a collision with our planet on December 22, 2032, was estimated at a frightening 3.1%. However, thanks to the latest observations using the super-powerful "James Webb" telescope, scientists were able to completely rule out the threat to Earth. Interestingly, the probability of the asteroid falling on the Moon is 3.8%—such an event could become an unprecedented scientific experiment, allowing humanity to observe the formation of a lunar crater in real time.

The successful tracking of a potentially dangerous object demonstrates the effectiveness of international cooperation: NASA, ESA, and other space agencies continuously monitor such celestial bodies and improve planetary defense technologies—from kinetic impact systems to methods of changing the trajectory of space objects, which have already proven their effectiveness.

Although there is no longer an immediate threat of collision, asteroids of this class serve as an important reminder of the need for further development of early detection and protection systems for our planet. Even a relatively small space object is capable of causing catastrophic destruction comparable to the most powerful explosion.