The $10 billion orbiting observatory will give astronomers a better sense of the near-Earth asteroid 2024 YR4's size and position.

YR4 has a roughly 2 percent chance of hitting Earth in 2032, and “is large enough to cause localized damage,” NASA says.

Astronomers will use the Webb telescope to closely monitor the size and trajectory of an asteroid that has a slim chance of hitting Earth in 2032.

Nasa is directing the James Webb Space Telescope to track asteroid 2024 YR4, whose collision risk with Earth has risen to 2.3 per cent, in a bid to better understand its size and trajectory

Astronomers have been given access to the James Webb Space Telescope to assess the threat posed by asteroid 2024 YR4, which has a one-in-43 chance of hitting Earth in 2032

Astronomers are using the James Webb telescope to study an asteroid that has a small chance of hitting Earth in 2032.

Astronomers have been granted emergency access to the James Webb Space Telescope to study an asteroid that poses a potential threat to Earth. The space rock, known as 2024 YR4, currently has a 2.3 per cent chance of colliding with our planet in 2032.