NASA Confirms Potential 2024 Impact of Rediscovered Asteroid

NASA has re-identified Asteroid 2007 FT3, which was lost after its discovery in 2007, and predicts it could potentially hit Earth next year with a chance of one in 11 million. The impact, expected on October 5, 2024, could release energy equivalent to 2.6 billion tons of TNT, but is not considered an extinction-level threat. The asteroid is one of many Near Earth Asteroids (NEAs) tracked by NASA, with larger asteroids like 29075 (1950 DA) posing a more significant risk. Jupiter is theorized to act as a shield for Earth by attracting some impacts that could otherwise threaten our planet.