Asteroid’s chances of hitting Earth in 2032 just got higher – but don’t panic

Space rock now has 2.3% risk of collision - up from 1.3% in December - but danger is likely to fall with more data

It might not be the world-ending apocalypse foretold in the Netflix drama Don't Look Up, but astronomers have significantly upped the odds of a direct hit from a giant asteroid currently hurtling towards Earth.

According to Nasa's Center for Near Earth Object Studies (Cneos), the odds of a strike in 2032 by the space rock that goes by the somewhat unassuming name 2024 YR are calculated to be 2.3% - a one-in-43 chance.