Search

Home > More or Less: Behind the Stats > What are the chances of an asteroid hitting earth in 2032?
Podcast: More or Less: Behind the Stats
Episode:

What are the chances of an asteroid hitting earth in 2032?

Category: News & Politics
Duration: 00:08:58
Publish Date: 2025-03-22 06:00:00
Description:

On 27 December 2024, astronomers spotted an asteroid that was potentially heading towards earth. Named 2024 YR4, it was estimated to be between 40m and 90m across, with the potential to cause massive damage if it hit a populated area of the planet.

The chances of that happening, however, seemed to fluctuate significantly - ranging from 1% to a peak of 3%, before falling to virtually zero.

Tim Harford investigates what was going on, with the help of Davide Farnocchia, a navigation engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Presenter: Tim Harford Producer: Lizzy McNeill Series producer: Tom Colls Production co-ordinator: Brenda Brown Sound Mix: Hal Haines Editor: Richard Vadon

Total Play: 0

Users also like

300+ Episodes
Best of Natu .. 200+     10+
200+ Episodes
The Infinite .. 1K+     100+
2K+ Episodes
Farming Toda .. 100+     10+
300+ Episodes
In Our Time: .. 400+     40+
400+ Episodes
Friday Night .. 1K+     200+

Some more Podcasts by BBC

2K+ Episodes
Six O'Clock .. 500+     100+
5 Episodes
The High Str .. 100+     5
900+ Episodes
Seriously... 300+     30+
400+ Episodes
In Touch 40+     2
1K+ Episodes
HARDtalk 400+     70+
100+ Episodes
Eye of the S .. 30+     3
600+ Episodes
The Inquiry 600+     40+
30+ Episodes
At Lunch Wit .. 5     1