Bhubaneswar, Jan. 30 -- Scientists are monitoring a newly identified asteroid that could strike the Moon in December 2032, an event that may send debris toward Earth, posing satellite risks while offering a rare research opportunity.

Asteroid 2024 YR4, about 60 metres wide, currently carries a 4 percent chance of hitting the Moon on December 22, 2032. Though the odds are low, researchers say such an impact would be powerful enough to draw global scientific attention.

A study led by Yifan He of Tsinghua University, released as a preprint on arXiv, explores what could be learned if the collision occurs. According to the paper, the strike would release energy comparable to a medium-sized thermonuclear explosion, potentially making it the s...