# @europeanspaceagency on Instagram

- **Type:** Image
- **Original URL:** https://www.instagram.com/p/DIl_QbRtjkJ
- **Gondola URL:** https://gondola.cc/posts/35582169-europeanspaceagency-instagram
- **Thumbnail:** https://img.gondola.cc/tr:w-,h-,fo-auto/postThumbnails/13598318db.jpg
- **Posted:** 2025-04-18T15:50:00.000+00:00
- **Account Owner:** J.L.Lopez (@xandler80) — https://gondola.cc/xandler80

## Caption

Small, speedy, and no threat to Earth – meet asteroid 2024 YR4, as seen by Webb. ☄️ 

On 8 March 2025, esawebb turned its gaze to one of the tiniest targets it’s ever studied — asteroid 2024 YR4, a space rock roughly the size of a 15-storey building (about 60 metres). 

Webb used both its Near-Infrared Camera (which captures reflected sunlight) and Mid-Infrared Instrument (which detects thermal glow) to snap this view. It’s the smallest object Webb has directly measured so far and one that we now know poses no significant threat to Earth in 2032 or beyond.

The goal? To study how this little asteroid heats up and cools down. What Webb found is fascinating: 
– It doesn’t behave like larger asteroids. 
– It likely spins quickly. 
– And its surface seems to lack fine-grained dust — instead, it’s probably covered in fist-sized rocks or larger. 

These early results also help refine the asteroid’s orbit when combined with data from Earth-based telescopes, crucial for tracking small, fast-moving objects in our Solar System. 

While these findings are still being studied and haven’t yet gone through peer review, they’re already helping us learn more about the diverse and dynamic world of asteroids. 

📸 NASA, europeanspaceagency, canadianspaceagency , space_telescopes; A Rivkin (johnshopkinsapl); creativecommons BY 4.0

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## Credits

These are the roles credited on Gondola. Credits may be incomplete.
A brand, account owner, or featured person is not necessarily the creator.

| Name | Username | Profile | Role |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| ESA - European Space Agency | @europeanspaceagency | https://gondola.cc/europeanspaceagency | Government Organization |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Producer |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Editor |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Social Media Manager |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Publisher |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Copywriter |
| J.L.Lopez | @xandler80 | https://gondola.cc/xandler80 | Community Manager |

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