Scientists say the threat of a newly discovered asteroid has risen slightly in the past few weeks, as the world's telescopes rush to track its course.

A near-Earth asteroid as wide as the Statue of Liberty is tall could strike Earth on Dec.22, 2032, alerting planetary defense groups at the United Nations.

The odds that asteroid 2024 YR4 could hit Earth in 2032 recently spiked from a little more than 1% to 2.3%, but astronomers say not to fret.