A recently released animation shows a new look at a large asteroid that has a small, but significant, chance of impacting planet Earth in seven years.

Near-Earth asteroid Bennu has a slim chance of colliding with Earth in 2182. If it does, the impact could trigger a global winter that affects our planet for years.

Scientists have warned an asteroid the size of Buckingham Palace is increasingly likely to hit Earth in the next decade - but the chances are still very small. NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) are tracking the giant space rock, dubbed 2024 YR, as it hurtles through the cosmos at speeds of up to 55,000mph.

Experts are tracking asteroid 2024 YR4, which has a 1.2% chance of impacting Earth in 2032. Observations continue to refine its path.

It's actually good news that NASA spotted a sizable asteroid with a (small) chance of hitting Earth in 2032. It means our asteroid-sleuthing telescopes are working.

Look at it this way — there's almost a 99 per cent chance an asteroid up to the size of a football field won't hit the Earth in eight years. Still, there's up to a two per cent chance it will, according to NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA).

Space agencies have systems in place to spot, track, and forecast the future orbits of potentially hazardous asteroids.

An asteroid has a one in 83 chance of hitting Earth in just over seven years. While most space rocks pass by harmlessly, this one, known as 2024 YR4, which is about half the size of a football field,