Scientists have recently made a significant prediction that has captured the attention of the world: the exact date when an asteroid named Bennu poses a potential danger to Earth.
With a force equivalent to 22 atomic bombs, the impact could have devastating consequences.
Bennu is a known asteroid that comes close to Earth every six years. However, there is a chance that in the future, it might actually hit Earth instead of just passing by.
Bennu is about one-third of a mile wide, which is half the size of the asteroid that caused the extinction of dinosaurs.
If Bennu were to collide with Earth, it would cause massive destruction within a 600-mile area around the impact site. However, the asteroid is not big enough to cause extinction on a global scale.
The mission undertaken by NASA to prevent the catastrophic event is currently in its final phase, highlighting the critical nature of the situation.
Richard Burns, who leads the OSIRIS-REx project at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, has shared his strong feelings and unwavering commitment during this seven-year mission.
Fortunately, the possibility of Bennu colliding with our planet and causing devastation for future generations is considered to be very slim.
NASA reports that although there is still a risk, the chances of Bennu hitting Earth on September 24, 2182, are extremely small.
Since the predicted date for the potential asteroid impact falls in the 22nd century, we can feel relieved for now.
Scientists were able to make a precise prediction of the asteroid's impact date by using fresh data gathered by NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft.
This data helped them improve their understanding of Bennu's orbit and estimate the chances of a collision.
The outcome of this flyby will influence Bennu's position in 2182, which will also affect the likelihood of a collision occurring.
According to a paper shared by the OSIRIS-REx science team, there is a 1 in 2,700 (0.037%) chance of Bennu impacting Earth on the predicted date.
