Nasa scientists have zeroed in on a date when an asteroid could potentially impact Earth. More than 160 years from now - 24 September, 2187, to be precise.
However, there is a 1 in 2700 or 0.037 percent chance that the near-Earth asteroid ‘Bennu’ could hit our planet, say the scientists.
The prediction forms a part of a study based on the tracking data of the asteroid’s movements from the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft.
Using Nasa’s Deep Space network and state-of-the-art computer models, researchers predicted that 'Bennu' will make a close approach to the Earth in 2135 but will not pose a danger to our planet at that time.
According to the study, the probability of 'Bennu' impacting Earth is slightly higher in 2300, about 1 in 1,750 or 0.057 percent.
Kelly Fast, Nasa’s program manager for the Near-Earth Object Observations Program, said: “Nasa’s Planetary Defence mission is to find and monitor asteroids and comets that can come near Earth and may pose a hazard to our planet.
“We carry out this endeavour through continuing astronomical surveys that collect data to discover previously unknown objects and refine our orbital models for them.”
First touch 🦾
— NASA's OSIRIS-REx (@OSIRISREx) October 21, 2020
This series of 2 images shows the SamCam imager’s field of view at the moment before and after I touched down on asteroid Bennu’s surface.
More details: https://t.co/4ccJmZvzL7 pic.twitter.com/QQyPlA5m83
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The 500-metre wide 'Bennu', which is one of the two most hazardous known asteroids in our solar system, is located around 320 million kilometres away from Earth.
OSIRIS-REx spent more than two years orbiting the asteroid. It gathered information about its size, shape, mass, and composition, as well as its spin and orbital trajectory.
The spacecraft collected a sample of rock and dust from the asteroid’s surface In October 2020. The spacecraft is scheduled to bring the sample to Earth in 2023.
