The possibility of the asteroid 2024 YR4 impacting our planet might not be ruled out until 2028, raising the prospect we’ll need to prepare for the worst

A colossal explosion in the sky, unleashing energy hundreds of times greater than the Hiroshima bomb. A blinding flash nearly as bright as the sun. Shockwaves powerful enough to flatten everything for miles.

NASA has identified an asteroid with a more than 1 percent chance of striking Earth in December 2032, per a statement released by the agency this week. While the identification has triggered international planetary defense measures,