NASA estimates when this massive asteroid could hit Earth with the force of several atomic bombs

Will mankind and other species on the planet meet a fate as tragic as that of the dinosaurs? Every day, astronomers scan the skies for asteroids that could pose a danger to us. One such celestial object has been studied by NASA for several years, and the space agency has just determined the precise date on which it could crash into Earth.

The Bennu asteroid and the OSIRIS-REx mission

Bennu has been known to astronomers since 1999. With a diameter of 500 meters, this asteroid has been studied since its discovery, but has received particular attention since 2018, when the OSIRIS-REx probe landed on it.

The probe's mission? Find out more about the celestial object and send a sample of its surface back to Earth. A mission clearly accomplished with flying colours, since the sample in question is due to be retrieved on September 24. And as NASA reports:

Although it is difficult to determine the chances of this happening, the new data provided by NASA's OSIRIS-REx probe has enabled scientists to better model the evolution of Bennu's orbit over time and better calculate the likelihood of an impact.

Read more:Two asteroids will graze the Earth, here is all you need to know

When could this asteroid pose a threat?

According to NASA calculations, asteroid Bennu has a chance of crashing into Earth on September 24 too... but in the year 2182! Rest assured, although this is a probability 'not of the order of zero', the chances of collision are EXTREMELY slim: we're talking about a one-in-2,700 chance, or 0.037% chance of impact.

On the face of it, then, Bennu should pass us by without too much trouble, and if the worst comes to the worst, that gives us time to prepare a few defensive measures. In the event of a crash, Bennu could generate a force equivalent to that of 22 atomic bombs, however, as Unilad points out:

It will cause damage 965 km from the crash site, but it is not large enough to cause global extinction.

Read more:89 of UK's biggest threats revealed by Government and they include nuclear attack and volcanic eruption

This article has been translated from Gentside FR.

Sources used:

NASA SVS

ScienceDirect: Ephemeris and hazard assessment for near-Earth asteroid (101955) Bennu based on OSIRIS-REx data

Unilad: Scientists have predicted the exact date asteroid is in danger of hitting Earth with force of 22 atomic bombs