NASA will use the James Webb Space Telescope to gather crucial data on the size of asteroid 2024 YR4, which has a small chance of striking Earth in 2032.

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

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory has declared a 1.6% chance that a large asteroid would strike the Earth when on Dec. 22, 2032.

Astronomers say the asteroid, estimated at 40-90 m (131-295 ft.) in diameter, could impact Earth on Dec. 22, 2032. “It is very important that we improve our size estimate for 2024 YR4: The hazard represented by a 40-m asteroid is very different from that of a 90-m asteroid,” ESA says.

Nasa is directing the James Webb Space Telescope to track asteroid 2024 YR4, whose collision risk with Earth has risen to 2.3 per cent, in a bid to better understand its size and trajectory

Astronomers are turning to NASA's James Webb Space Telescope to learn more about asteroid 2024 YR4, which has a 2% chance of hitting Earth in 2032.

The threat of a newly discovered asteroid has risen slightly in the past few weeks, as the world’s telescopes rush to track its course. But the chance of an impact is still quite slim. New calculations suggest there’s a 2% chance the space rock 2024 YR4 will smack Earth in 2032.

Scientists warn that asteroid 2024 YR4 has a 2.3% chance of striking Earth in 2032—a small but serious risk. Nicknamed a "city killer," this space rock could cause massive destruction if it hits. NASA is using the James Webb Telescope to refine its trajectory,