Odds of asteroid Bennu hitting Earth higher than previously thought - Nasa
12 August 2021, 06:59
The odds of asteroid Bennu hitting Earth are higher than previously thought, according to Nasa scientists.
Teams at the US space agency came to the troubling conclusion after developing a better understanding of the celestial object's probable flight path for the next 200 years.
However, the odds of Bennu slamming into our home planet within the next couple of centuries still remain slim, having risen from one in 2,700 to one in 1,750.
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Scientist Davide Farnocchia said, "We shouldn't be worried about it too much," due to the improved knowledge of its potential flight path, which came to light thanks to Nasa's Osiris-Rex spacecraft.
"So I think that, overall, the situation has improved," he told reporters.
The most likely day for impact is 24 September 2182, researchers predicted.
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Osiris-Rex is set to return to Earth in 2023 after collecting samples from the problematic asteroid, which is considered one of the two most hazardous of its type in the solar system.
Before the spacecraft reached Bennu three years ago, scientists relied upon telescopes to understand the nature of the giant space rock, which is about a third of a mile in diameter.
Its findings - which have been published in the journal Icarus - should also help in charting the course of other asteroids and give Earth a better chance of combatting other hazardous objects heading its way.
