Home > Asteroid, Ephemeris Program, Meteor Shower, Near Earth Object > Ephemeris: 06/30/2025 – Asteroid hitting the Moon in 2032 may cause spectacular meteor shower and danger to satellites

Ephemeris: 06/30/2025 – Asteroid hitting the Moon in 2032 may cause spectacular meteor shower and danger to satellites

June 30, 2025

This is Ephemeris for International Asteroid Day, Monday, June 30th. Today the Sun will be up for 15 hours and 31 minutes, setting at 9:32, and it will rise tomorrow at 6:01. The Moon, 2 days before first quarter, will set at 12:46 tomorrow morning.

This is the 117th anniversary of the Tunguska Event, an asteroid strike that hit Siberia in 1908. An asteroid, thought to be of similar size, will pass close to the Earth, but has a 4% chance of hitting the Moon on December 22nd 2032. The asteroid was discovered near the end of last year and has the designation 2024 YR4. For a while there was a fear that this asteroid might hit the Earth. However, it was soon found that the asteroid would not hit the Earth but had a chance of hitting the Moon. Recently a paper was written that looked at what would happen to the ejecta of an impact of this asteroid on the Moon. It could be a hazard to the satellites orbiting the Earth.

The astronomical event times given in this blog are for the Traverse City/Interlochen area of Michigan (Lat 44.7° N, Long 85.7° W; EDT, UT – 4 hours) unless stated otherwise. Times will be different for other locations.

Addendum

Asteroid 2024 YR 4 could strike the Moon in 2032. The resulting cloud of impact debris could pose a threat to satellites while also causing a dramatic meteor shower.
Asteroid 2024 YR 4 could strike the Moon in 2032. The resulting cloud of impact debris could pose a threat to satellites while also causing a dramatic meteor shower. Image Credit: NASA SVS, via Universe Today.

Further reading

The Mother of All Meteor Showers Could Threaten Satellites By Evan Gough, Universe Today
Original paper: The Potential Danger to Satellites due to Ejecta from a 2032 Lunar Impact by Asteroid 2024 YR4 by Paul Wiegert et al.

Categories: Asteroid, Ephemeris Program, Meteor Shower, Near Earth Object Tags: , ,