However, observations made of the asteroid on February 19-20 have further decreased its chance of Earth impact to 0.28%. Stardome astronomer Josh Aoraki told The Front Page it’s a relatively small asteroid,

The risk that an increasingly ominous asteroid dubbed 2024 YR4 will crash into Earth in seven years now exceeds the the threat once posed by Apophis.

Even in the increasingly unlikely event of an impact from YR4, Oregon and the Pacific Northwest appear to be safe from impact. Computer models showed areas of South America, Africa and southeast Asia would have the highest risk in the event of an impact, based on what astronomers know about the asteroid’s orbit.

New observations have dramatically reduced the chances of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth in 2032, lowering the risk to minimal levels, but its extraordinarily close approach will offer astronomers th

The likelihood of asteroid 2024 YR4 colliding with Earth keeps shifting, according to scientists. The object — which is large enough to destroy an entire city — has a 0.28% chance of colliding with Earth as of Feb.

YR4 has a 2% chance of hitting Earth in 2032. Astronomers are tracking it to refine estimates of its size and orbit to see how much of a risk the space rock poses.