A former astronaut has shared a worrying prognosis for the world about what could happen if the 2024 YR4 asteroid hits the planet in seven years.
The now-retired spaceman Chris Hadfield, 65, has put his two pence in the ongoing conversation surrounding what could happen if it really does make a beeline for Earth.
NASA are set to use the James Webb Telescope - which is the largest, most powerful and most complex telescope ever launched in the solar system - to get a better idea of what we're in for.
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Currently, it is estimated that the asteroid, which was discovered in Chile on December 27 last year, has a 2.3 percent chance of colliding with our planet.
Since 2024 YR4 was spotted, there has been a lot of discussion surrounding what would happen if it did hit us, with NASA reportedly making emergency preparations just in case it does.
Scientists have been sharing their thoughts on the saga, while a list of countries which could be impacted by the huge chunk of rock has also been released.
There's even simulations of the impact which 2024 YR4 could have - and needless to say, it doesn't look very good.
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Now, Hadfield has shared his expert opinion on the asteroid, which supposedly has the capability to 'destroy cities' due to it's staggering size.
The asteroid, which is estimated to measure between 40 and 90 meters (130-295 feet) at the moment, could pummel into our planet on December 22, 2032.
As it was first spotted around the festive period and intends to make it's return to us then too, Hadfield is dubbing it 'the Christmas asteroid' rather than 2024 YR4...which I suppose does have a slightly better ring to it.
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During an appearance on LBC this week, the former astronaut and engineer explained why this asteroid in particular has caught everyones attention.
"Because it has a probability of hitting us and doing damage, we're really having a good look," he said, before explaining that the asteroid is essentially loaded with '7.7 megatons worth of of TNT'.
"It's about 500 times more powerful than the biggest bomb we exploded during World War 2," Hadfield continued.
"So think of the destruction we wrought on each other in Hiroshima and Nagasaki...this is 500 times more powerful than that, just because of the energy of it coming through the atmosphere, causing shockwaves and because of the heating, [then] exploding.
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"It's like a grenade. A grenade is no bigger than your fist, but it can do damage over a wide area. This is a grenade that's 60 metres across."
Unlike the atomic bombs that decimated Japan, 2024 YR4 doesn't come with the added threat of radiation - however, it still has the potential to cause untold devastation.
Although Hadfield acknowledged the asteroid is 'just a rock, or collection of stones', he explained it's speed is the scary thing about it.
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The former fighter pilot, who also served in the Canadian Armed Forces for 25 years, went on: "[It's] a collection of stones and rock going 17 kilometres a second. The Space Station is only going 8km a second, I lived up there for half a year. It's going twice as fast as the Space Station. Like a bullet zeroing in on Earth from deep space."
But like a host of other experts have already explained, Hadfield said the chances of it hitting us are slim.
"The odds are it's going to miss us," he added. "And by springtime, we'll know even better. The best part is, we have plans if we know for sure."
So, don't fret people - as the boffins of the world have a backup plan if 2024 YR4 really does want to pay us a visit.
Topics: NASA, Space, Science, World News
Olivia Burke