Earth finishes a lap around the Sun every year. YR4 follows a longer, more stretched path and takes roughly four years. That rhythm brings it back through Earth’s broad neighborhood in 2028 and again in 2032.
The 2028 return should give astronomers another chance to reacquire the asteroid and improve their measurements. Then comes 2032, when YR4 is expected to pass roughly 173,000 miles from Earth’s center and much closer to the Moon.
Each return adds frames to a very slow cosmic film. Astronomers can refine the orbit, study changes in brightness, and learn how the object spins. YR4 is like an express train on a four-year loop: 2028 is the next platform sighting, while 2032 is the close pass everyone will want to watch.