Seven years might seem like a long time, but in the grand scheme of things, it’s not. That’s why the increasing probability of an asteroid striking Earth in 2032 is unsettling.
Just a couple of weeks ago, the chance of impact was around 1%. Then it rose to 2%. Now, within the last 24 hours, scientists have raised the probability to 3.1%—the highest likelihood of an asteroid collision since 2004.
That’s significant. Not just because we’re tracking this asteroid’s trajectory, but because the odds continue to increase.
We were told a couple of weeks ago that the chances could rise before they eventually drop. Hopefully, that’s true. Because with each passing day, as the percentage creeps upward, it becomes harder to ignore the reality of what could happen if this asteroid does strike in 2032.
To put this timeline in perspective: 2018 was seven years ago. That doesn’t feel so long ago, does it? Seven years from now will go by just as fast. It’s a blink of an eye in the context of human history.
Why Is No One Taking This Seriously?
Despite the growing concern, most news mainstream networks are treating this asteroid like an afterthought. Almost every broadcast places the story near the end of the segment—after sports, after weather—delivering it with an odd mix of tongue-in-cheek humor and dismissive jokes. Some anchors laugh about how at least it won’t be their city in the crosshairs. Maybe it’s gallows humor. Maybe it’s nervous laughter. Either way, when we get to 2031 and 2032, those same newscasts will look pretty foolish.
But that is how science is covered in mainstream media. Space and science-related stories are often tacked onto the end of broadcasts, squeezed between fluff pieces and the sign-off. When anchors do report on them, there’s often a sense of detached amusement—mocking the complexities, reducing groundbreaking research to a quick soundbite read off a teleprompter.
But space isn’t a joke. And neither is this asteroid.
Think about it: we are a tiny, fragile pale blue dot floating in an incomprehensibly vast, chaotic universe. At any moment, an undetected asteroid could come out of nowhere. This one, however, isn’t a surprise—we see it coming. Yet, there’s no serious discussion about a plan to prevent impact.
Sure, scientists say it won’t destroy the planet. Maybe it will just hit a city, or if it lands in the ocean, we’ll have to worry about tsunamis. But how is that reassuring? A single impact could kill millions, and we’re still treating it like a casual bit of trivia that belongs at the end of a newscast.
If the media wants to cover this story with the weight it deserves, it should come before the sports and weather, not after.
For those who want to follow updates on this asteroid, NASA has been monitoring its trajectory closely. Let’s hope the odds start shifting in our favor.
