A chilling visualisation shows what might happen if an asteroid hits Earth in 2032, as scientists fear.
Discovered in December, Asteroid 2024 YR4 is being closely monitored due to its potential to impact our planet.
If the asteroid were to strike Earth, the energy released could be equivalent to 8 megatons of TNT, capable of devastating an area the size of Washington, D.C.
The shocking visuals were created by Alvaro Gracia Montoya, who specialises in 3D animation under the name MetaBallStudios.
He says: "I don't think it's going to happen, but certainly this kind of news generates a lot of speculation."
Online reactions have included: "I guarantee they are already building bunkers underground" and "That won't happen because obviously Bruce Willis and Ben Affleck are going to go up there, drill a hole in the side and nuke it."
An 8-megaton explosion would be over 500 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, which had a yield of approximately 15 kilotons (0.015 megatons).
Current estimates place its size between 40 and 90 metres (130–295 feet) and give it a 2.3% probability of impact, equivalent to a 1 in 43 chance.
