Researchers have determined the precise date when an asteroid could potentially impact Earth, carrying with it a power equivalent to that of 22 atomic bombs. This celestial object, named Bennu (provisional designation 1999 RQ36), approaches our planet every six years. However, scientists believe that September 24, 2182, could be the date when there is a real risk of collision between Earth and the asteroid.
Bennu is roughly spheroidal, with dimensions of approximately 565 × 535 × 508 meters and a mean diameter of 490 meters, comparable to the height of the Empire State Building. Its surface is extremely rugged, covered with boulders, some up to 58 meters across, and features a well-defined equatorial ridge.
Despite the potential date of the apocalyptic event being far off, NASA is currently engaged in intense efforts to deflect the asteroid Bennu and is in the final phase of its mission.
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft launched in September 2016, arrived at Bennu in December 2018, and conducted detailed mapping of its surface. On October 20, 2020, the spacecraft performed a Touch-And-Go (TAG) maneuver to collect surface material. The sample capsule returned to Earth on September 24, 2023, carrying 121.6 grams of asteroid material, which is now being analyzed in laboratories worldwide.
Asteroids have hit the Earth many times throughout the years.
Bennu is roughly spheroidal, with dimensions of approximately 565 × 535 × 508 meters and a mean diameter of 490 meters, comparable to the height of the Empire State Building. Its surface is extremely rugged, covered with boulders, some up to 58 meters across, and features a well-defined equatorial ridge.
Despite the potential date of the apocalyptic event being far off, NASA is currently engaged in intense efforts to deflect the asteroid Bennu and is in the final phase of its mission.
NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft launched in September 2016, arrived at Bennu in December 2018, and conducted detailed mapping of its surface. On October 20, 2020, the spacecraft performed a Touch-And-Go (TAG) maneuver to collect surface material. The sample capsule returned to Earth on September 24, 2023, carrying 121.6 grams of asteroid material, which is now being analyzed in laboratories worldwide.
Asteroids have hit the Earth many times throughout the years.