NASA scientists have predicted there is a possibility that the large asteroid they are tracking could crash into Earth in 2182, potentially destroying an area the size of Texas.
Bennu, a near-Earth object, orbits Earth about every six years and has been on the space agency’s radar since 1999 when it was first discovered.
There have been three close encounters involving Bennu, in 1999, 2005 and 2011, scientists said.
On September 25, 2135, Bennu will pass Earth closely and have a small chance of passing through a “gravitational keyhole” that will put the space rock on a collision course with the planet in 2182 – 159 years from now.
A paper from the OSIRIS-REx science team gives Bennu just a 1 in 2,700 chance — or 0.037% — of impacting Earth on September 24, 2182.
This image of Bennu was created using observations made by NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, which studied the asteroid at close range for more than two years. NASA/Goddard/Uni of Arizona/SWNS
Scientists have been practicing retrieving the spacecraft when it returns to Earth on Sunday. AFP via Getty Images
The impact of the asteroid, which is about a third of a mile wide, could damage large areas of Earth’s surface and release the energy of about 22 atomic bombs, according to Earth.com.
The blast is still only a fraction of the impact of the giant asteroid believed to have wiped out the dinosaurs 66 million years ago, estimated to be about 6 miles across.
OSIRIS-REx — an acronym for Origins Spectral Interpretation Resource Identification Security Regolith Explorer — briefly landed a craft on Bennu and collected about 2 pounds of rock and dirt samples in 2020.
Team members monitor capsule operations during NASA’s first major asteroid sample recovery exercise for OSIRIS-REx in June. AFP via Getty Images
The first asteroid sample to be collected is expected to crash into Utah on Sunday, according to ABC News.
Astrophysicist Hakeem Oluyesi told the outlet that the completion of the seven-year mission will change what people know about the origins of our solar system.
“This is pure, uncontaminated material that reveals the early secrets of the solar system. Long-term discoveries will look for biological molecules or even precursor molecules for life,” Oluyesi said.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
