An Asteroid Is Headed for the Moon—Here’s When It Could Collide

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Get ready for some news that’s out of this world.

Oh my gosh, you guys, I’ve been following this asteroid, 2024 YR4, and it’s seriously terrifying! It looks like it might actually hit the moon! I read this amazing research paper that came out on September 15th, and it basically says that if it *does* impact, it won’t be a small thing – there will definitely be consequences! I’m so worried, but also, like, totally fascinated!

Oh my gosh, if these satellites *do* collide, it’s going to be a disaster! I’ve been reading everything I can, and nearly two dozen researchers are saying it could create debris – seriously, up to 1,000 times above normal levels – in just a few days! It’s terrifying to think about, because that could actually threaten astronauts and spacecraft in low-Earth orbit. I’m so worried! I’ve been following this story on several websites and it’s just getting more intense.

The paper-which hasn’t been officially checked by other experts yet-suggests one way to deal with the asteroid is to break it apart using a method called a “robust disruption.” However, the research notes that we’d need to know more about the asteroid’s mass before attempting this, according to the study.

As a lifestyle expert, I’m always looking at future possibilities, and right now, scientists are carefully evaluating a situation that *could* affect us. Thankfully, they still have time to figure out the best way to handle it, if needed. The current estimate suggests anything might happen around December 2032, and there’s about a 4 percent chance of it actually impacting the moon. It’s a small chance, but definitely something they’re keeping a close eye on, and we’ll keep you updated as things develop. Staying informed is key!

At the beginning of this year, scientists thought asteroid 2024 YR4 might be headed for a collision with Earth. NASA initially estimated the chance of impact at as high as 3.1 percent in February, but they have since determined that a collision will not happen.

Lots of celebrities are fascinated by space, and a few have actually gotten the chance to go there. In April, Katy Perry, Gayle King and Lauren Sánchez Bezos were among those who flew on a Blue Origin space mission.

The trip outside of Earth definitely made headlines when it happened, but not everyone followed it closely-for example, Mariah Carey didn’t find out about the launch until several months afterward.

During an August appearance on BBC Radio’s Scott Mills Breakfast Show, Mariah asked Katy, “Did she go to space?” She then added, “I’m not mad at her. That’s pretty amazing.”

However, don’t expect Mimi to be blasting off into space anytime soon. When questioned about the possibility of taking her own trip to orbit, the singer plainly stated, “I think I’ve done enough.”

To see what more celebs have said about going into space, keep reading.

Oh my gosh, I was watching CBS Mornings and Gayle King was just *explaining* how she felt about going to space with Blue Origin! She said, and I quote, “I don’t know how to explain being terrified and excited at the same time,” and honestly, I totally get it! She’s going on the New Shepard NS-31 crew, blasting off on April 14th, and she said it felt just like when she was about to give birth! Can you *imagine*?! I’m so excited for her, but I’d be a wreck! It’s just…Blue Origin with Gayle King! I’m obsessed!

The 70-year-old cohost explained her motivation as “to embrace new experiences and challenge myself,” and shared that she sought advice-from what she jokingly called ground control, meaning her sons and close friend Oprah Winfrey-before committing to the undertaking.

After Kirby, Will, and Oprah were okay with it, I was too,” King explained. “I honestly expected Oprah to say ‘no,’ but she didn’t. She told me, ‘If you don’t do this, and they all return, you’ll regret not taking the chance.’ And she was absolutely right.”

“I was like, ‘What am I going to wear?'” Katy Perry told Elle ahead of her Blue Origin flight with King, Lauren Sánchez, Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyen, and Kerianne Flynn. “But seriously, I have wanted to go to space for almost 20 years. I was investigating all of the possible commercial options. Even when Blue Origin was first talking about commercial travel to space, I was like, ‘Sign me up! I’m first in line.’”

Back in 2010, MTV News reported that Perry spent $200,000 on a ticket for a Virgin Galactic suborbital flight, with the plan to fly once the company successfully launched one.

“I’ve always been fascinated by things beyond Earth,” the “E.T.” singer shared with the publication back then. “When I look up at the night sky, it’s hard not to believe our planet is just one of… countless others. It really puts things in perspective – it’s a tiny place. And Russell Brand and I both have a strong interest in anything related to extraterrestrial life. We even talked about going to space!” (She and Russell Brand divorced in 2011.)

With her 2025 space trip on Blue Origin getting closer, the 40-year-old shared with Elle that she was too busy to feel anxious. She explained, “I simply don’t have time to be nervous or worry. I’m sure I’ll have a reaction when the countdown begins – ‘10, 9, 8, 7…’ – but until then, we have work to do and things to take care of.”

Perry jokingly said that space travel was about to become much more stylish. He continued, “If I could bring glamour with me into space, I absolutely would. We’re going to inject some fun and excitement – put the ‘ass’ in astronaut!”

William Shatner was 90 years old when he traveled to space on a Blue Origin rocket in 2021. As soon as they reached space, the Star Trek actor quickly (though slowly, given the zero gravity!) went to look out the window.

Upon his return, Shatner famously described seeing “a cold, dark, black emptiness” in his book, Josh Brandon and his co-authored work, Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder. He explained that this blackness was unlike anything experienced on Earth – it was profound, all-around, and completely encompassing. He turned back towards Earth, able to see its shape, the tan deserts, the white clouds, and the blue sky – all signs of life. It was a life-giving, sustaining force – Mother Earth, Gaia – and he was leaving it behind.

“Everything I had thought was wrong. Everything I had expected to see was wrong.”

This experience caused Shatner to value Earth even more. He wrote, “It greatly strengthened my belief in the incredible connection we all share as humans-our beautiful, complex relationships-and ultimately, it brought a sense of hope back into my life.”

Oh my gosh, I’m still reeling! William Shatner sent a video message to King before her Blue Origin flight, and it was *everything*. He said, “It’s an adventure of a lifetime. Something you never done before and you will never do again. Embrace the journey.” I literally cried! It’s just… so perfect. He gets it! This isn’t just a trip; it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and he captured that so beautifully. I’m already counting down the seconds until liftoff! I wish Blue Origin would just release the full video already! It’s going to be iconic!

Lance Bass began training for a trip to space in 2002. He got in shape alongside a Russian crew because MirCorp, a space tourism company based in the Netherlands, worked with a documentary film crew to buy him a $20 million spot on a Soyuz flight headed to the International Space Station.

But there was an insurance issue a week before launch, and Bass didn’t get to go.

He told Space.com in 2023, “Without a record of the flight, it feels very disappointing,” but he added, “even so, completing the training was still a great experience.”

The ‘NSYNC member said he still dreams of visiting the International Space Station (ISS) someday. However, he isn’t keen on taking a quick trip to space – just a few minutes – on a suborbital flight with companies like Blue Origin or Virgin Galactic.

Michael Strahan described his December 2021 trip to space on Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket as feeling “almost like an out-of-body experience.”

“It’s almost unbelievable that it actually occurred,” he shared with his fellow Amy Robach at ABC News back then. “It’s a strange sensation, similar to feeling weightless – like when the booster fires, the rocket launches, and it separates, leaving you disoriented. Your body just reacts, and instinctively, you unbuckle your seatbelt – it feels completely natural to do so.”

Kim Kardashian‘s boyfriend at the time, Pete Davidson, initially agreed to join a space flight on the New Shepard in March 2022 with five other passengers who were paying for the trip. However, when the flight was postponed, the Saturday Night Live star was no longer able to participate.

A Blue Origin representative stated that Pete Davidson can no longer participate in the NS-20 mission crew. They will reveal who the sixth crew member is soon.

When he was scheduled to travel, Kardashian-who remembered her parents weeping in 1986 after the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster-shared that she was first quite scared.

Jeff Bezos asked Pete to join him on a trip to space,” she shared on The Kardashians. “I’m honestly shocked that he’s actually going. The whole idea just seems so wild to me.”

After that, she had a conversation with Bezos, and hearing about the extensive safety measures, rigorous testing, and everything they do made her feel okay with [Pete] going.

And, Kardashian added, “If I didn’t have four kids, I would absolutely go.”

Although SpaceX founder Elon Musk hasn’t personally traveled on one of his company’s spacecraft yet, he stated at the International Astronautical Conference in 2016 that he anticipated human transport to Mars by 2024. He acknowledged then that this timeline was a rather “optimistic” prediction.

Musk was also realistic, stating at the time, “I believe the initial trips to Mars will be quite perilous. There’s a significant chance of death, and it’s unavoidable.”

In September 2024, he revised his target, stating that SpaceX planned to launch an unmanned Starship to Mars by the end of 2026. He also mentioned the ambition of sending humans to Mars two years later, around 2028.

During a conversation at the White House in October 2016, featuring then-President Barack Obama and climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe, Leonardo DiCaprio playfully suggested he might be open to the idea of colonizing Mars.

“Let’s be real, most of us are humans living here on Earth-right?” Hayhoe explained while talking about why it’s important to vote for leaders who take climate change seriously. “Unless you’ve already booked a one-way ticket to Mars. And honestly, if you have, I think that’s a bit much.”

To which DiCaprio interjected, “I did.”

Quipped Obama, “I think he’ll acknowledge he’s crazy.”

Although DiCaprio hasn’t confirmed or denied it, he previously considered traveling to space on a Virgin Galactic flight. In fact, a seat on that spacecraft-whenever it finally launches-was auctioned for $1.5 million at a charity event (amfAR Cinema Against AIDS) that DiCaprio attended during the 2013 Cannes Film Festival. It was a significant contribution to the cause, and highlighted his initial interest in space travel. The event was well-publicized, and drew attention to both the charity and the potential for space tourism.

Over time, Richard Branson, the founder of Virgin Galactic, expressed uncertainty about whether DiCaprio would ultimately be on the very first commercial flight.

He told Vulture in 2016 that around 700 people had registered and were actively participating. He noted that some had been involved for up to ten years, ever since the program began, and that they were nearing the end. “But we’re not too long now, I think,” he added.

Eventually, in 2018, the VSS Unity completed the company’s initial journey to the edge of space-though Leonardo DiCaprio wasn’t on board.

In February 2013, Justin Bieber tweeted, “I wanna do a concert in space.”

NASA replied, “Maybe we can help you  with that.”

In June, Branson announced on Twitter that Bieber and his manager, Scooter Braun, had registered for suborbital spaceflights with Virgin Galactic, and playfully added, “Congrats, see you there!”

To which Bieber replied, “Let’s shoot a music video in SPACTopMob!”

None of this has happened yet. 

Tom Hanks developed a lifelong fascination with space after seeing Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey in 1968, at the age of 12.

“It showed this beautiful idea of a person existing in a place where there’s no life,” the Apollo 13 star explained to The Guardianin 2023. “I’d followed the space program before, but I didn’t really appreciate the beauty or the inspiring side of it until I watched that film.”

Just a month after being deeply moved by a film, he happened to watch a Christmas broadcast showing Apollo 8 circling the moon. He remembered thinking, “I can’t believe I’m actually seeing the entire Earth on my television!” He felt a powerful connection, exclaiming, “I am on that planet that’s right there in the picture!”

His newest project focused on space is The Moonwalkers: A Journey with Tom Hanks, a captivating film about the Apollo missions shown at Space Center Houston. He both helped write the script and provides the narration.

Also, Tom Hanks is reportedly on the waiting list for a flight with Virgin Galactic. However, the Oscar-winning actor mentioned on Jimmy Kimmel Live! back in 2021 that he had previously declined a chance to fly with Blue Origin, and he had a surprisingly simple reason for doing so.

“It’s around 28 million dollars, give or take,” Hanks joked. “I’m doing well, Jimmy. I’m doing well, but there’s no way I’m paying 28 million dollars.”

Ashton Kutcher initially reserved a spot on a future Virgin Galactic flight, but he later sold his ticket. This decision came after a thoughtful conversation with Mila Kunis.

He explained to Cheddar News in July 2021, “After I got married and started a family, my wife felt it wasn’t a good idea for me to go to space, considering we had young children.”

Prince William won’t be accused of trying to colonize Mars, thank you very much.

He told the BBC’s Newscast in 2021 that the world needs to be “focused on fixing this planet.” He emphasized that this is “quite crucial,” and that we should concentrate on this [planet] instead of abandoning it and looking to space for future solutions.

And, the father of three noted, he admittedly preferred to measure altitude in feet, not miles.

Oh my gosh, you will *not* believe what this pilot, William, said! He was talking about going super high, and he was like, “Absolutely not!” He said, “I have absolutely no interest in going that high.” Can you believe it? He’s a pilot, see, but he prefers staying…well, *grounded*. He admitted he once went up to 65,000 feet in a plane, and he said it was truly terrifying! I mean, 65,000 feet! He’s definitely not a fan of extreme altitudes, and honestly? I totally get it! #pilotlife, but keep your feet on the ground, apparently!

“I’ve always dreamed of going to space-it truly represents the future of exploration,” Cameron Diaz shared with InStyle back in 2014. She believes that, eventually, people will need to start living on other planets, explaining, “We’re naturally driven to explore-it’s just part of who we are.”

While watching a blue moon from a beach in St. Barts, the actress shared, “I have no answers. I just realize that there are forces greater than myself. And I accept whatever those forces may be.”

Even after playing a role in Ridley Scott’s Alien prequel, Prometheus, Michael Fassbender still wasn’t discouraged from wanting to actually travel to space, despite the well-known fact that no one can hear you if you were to shout while there.

I remember reading an interview with him in W back in 2012, and he said that if he ever got the opportunity to go to space, he absolutely would! But he also made it clear it just hadn’t ever been a big focus for him personally – it wasn’t something he actively pursued, you know?

Fassbender’s Prometheus costar Charlize Theron, however, was a little haunted.

Honestly, if Ridley Scott isn’t the king of space, I don’t know who is! I mean, W magazine asked me about it, and I had to tell them the truth. When I first saw Prometheus at the screening, I was *so* terrified, I actually elbowed the metal chair next to me! And I still have a little scar to prove it! It’s embarrassing to admit, but it really shows how easily I get spooked – I’m just so pathetic when it comes to scary movies, especially when Ridley Scott is directing. I guess I just don’t think I’m tough enough for space, you know?

When it became known that Paris Hilton had reserved a spot on Virgin Galactic back in 2008 – a decade before any flights actually happened – she admitted in an interview that she was, surprisingly, quite frightened.

Oh my gosh, Hilton actually said this, and it totally broke my heart! He was just thinking out loud, but it was so real. He was like, “What if I don’t come back?” And then he went on about how, with all that travel at light-years, what if he returned 10,000 years in the future? Can you *imagine*? He’d be totally alone, like, “Great. Now I have to start all over.”” It’s just… devastating to think about, honestly. I keep replaying it in my head!

Although she didn’t take the journey herself, while speaking with Branson on This Is Paris in 2021, she shared that her future husband, Carter Reum, had mentioned purchasing a ticket for the trip.

“We hope to eventually make space travel accessible to many of our listeners and significantly lower the cost,” Branson explained. “However, it will take time because, as you can imagine, space travel is very expensive.”

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2025-10-02 03:49