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,

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.

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