• Dr. Robin George Andrews, a UK scientist, warns that asteroid 2024 YR4, with a 1 in 43 chance of impacting Earth in 2032, may be too difficult to deflect due to its size and composition, posing a significant threat.
• While the DART mission successfully altered the trajectory of a smaller asteroid, its success isn't guaranteed for larger, potentially more fragile asteroids like 2024 YR4, as a forceful impact could cause fragmentation and increase the risk of Earth impact.
• NASA is using the James Webb Space Telescope to observe 2024 YR4, with observations scheduled for March and May 2025, providing crucial data for assessing the asteroid's trajectory and potential for deflection, although this may be the last opportunity to study it until 2028.