It's certain that recently discovered asteroid 2024 YR4 will swing close to Earth in 2032. The chances of an impact remain low — but with relatively limited observations so far, the odds are in flux.

A large asteroid dubbed 2024 YR4 now has a 2.2% chance of hitting the Earth on Dec. 22, 2032, according to NASA and the European Space Agency. That estimate, made Friday, works out to approximately a one-in-45 chance of direct impact, which also means a 44-in-45 chance of a miss.

The risk of asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth seems to be creeping up as astronomers gather more data, but does that mean we should be scrambling to prepare for an impact in 2032?

YR4 has just above a 1% chance of crashing into Earth in 2032, which is why astronomers and space agencies are paying attention to it.

YR4 now has a 2.3% chance of impacting Earth in 2032, prompting ongoing observations. Ground-based telescopes will track it until April, while NASA’s Webb Telescope will examine its size in 2025. New

YR4 has just over a 2% chance of hitting Earth, according to NASA, but experts say there's no need to panic yet.

Scientists have found an asteroid that might smash into the Earth in December 2032. That's less than eight short years away, and right after a U.S. presidential election too -- how courteous of this giant space rock.

The chances of the asteroid 2024 YR4 hitting Earth in 2032 appear to have doubled, but an asteroid hunter explains to Space.com why this isn't cause for concern.

The near-earth object first discovered in 2024 has stirred up conversation on social media because of the potential for an impact.