The Crasher
Scientists at NASA recently figured out when the 1,640-foot-wide Bennu asteroid will swing by Earth and also when it will hit our planet, the Independent reported.
The space agency used data from the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security-Regolith Explorer (OSIRIS-REx) spacecraft to study the asteroid’s movements from now until 2300.
OSIRIS-REx has spent two years analyzing Bennu’s size, shape and composition from close proximity. The space probe is set to return to Earth in 2023 with a sample of the giant space rock.
In their findings, astronomers said the celestial body will swing by in 2135. This close encounter will allow scientists to better forecast how the planet’s gravity affects the asteroid’s path around the Sun – and a future potential impact.
The team reported that Bennu is set to crash on Earth on Sept. 24, 2182 but the chances of an impact are one in 2,700 – and one in 1,750 through the year 2300.
Even if it did crash, it wouldn’t be world-ending: It would create a crater 10 to 20 times its size. Even so, the area of destruction would be about 100 times the size of the crater.
Although researchers are not worried, they noted that Bennu’s course could be affected by other forces around the solar system. Still, the chances are slim, the Associated Press reported.
For now, there is nothing to worry about.
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