Asteroid “Bennu”: the possibility of hitting Earth is more than previously thought

Asteroid “Bennu” can be dangerous for Earth. NASA experts increase the likelihood of an impact.

Houston – Asteroid ‘Bennu’ monastery It could one day become dangerous to Earth. The asteroid, which has a diameter of about 490 meters, will cause devastation if it collides with the Earth’s surface. Because of this real danger, NASA launched the “Osiris Rex” mission. The space probe should help better understand the trajectories of asteroids. The space probe managed to collect some samples from the asteroid during its mission – and it is now on its way back to Earth.

The first data from the space probe has already been evaluated by NASA. As a result, the chance of asteroid Bennu hitting Earth one day is higher than initially expected. As reported by NASA, it was 1:1750 in the year 2300. The previously assumed probability was 1:2700.

Asteroid Bennu: NASA’s Osiris Rex probe collects data

Even if the new data increases the likelihood of an asteroid collision, NASA suspects there is cause for concern. “It’s not a huge difference and the probability of an effect is about the same,” said study leader David Farnokia, a scientist at NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies. “We can now assess the ‘Bino’ flight path much better and understand the potential pathways of impact. I no longer feel more insecure than before.”

If the asteroid Bennu did hit Earth, it would create a crater 10 to 20 times its size. With an average of 15, this would correspond to a crater diameter of 7.35 kilometers. At the same time, the destroyed area will be a hundred times larger than the actual size of the pit.

Asteroid “Bennu”: Low probability of hitting Earth

According to the calculations, there will be many possible collisions with the Earth in the years from 2175 to 2199. Even if the probability of an actual collision is less than 0.07%, the asteroid is still closely monitored. For example, it is also possible that a pass close to Earth could alter an asteroid’s flight path in a way that increases future collision risks. (Marvin Ziegel)