Seen Oppenheimer? Now imagine that explosion times 22.
Well folks, it appears that end times are upon us, as scientists have predicted the exact date that an asteroid could potentially smash into planet Earth exuding the force of 22 atomic bombs.
The asteroid, for whatever reason is named Bennu, passes the Earth every six years but scientists believe that on a day in September (not this year), Bennu could make impact and absolutely obliterate a lot of us.
NASA have been working on a plan to change the direction of the asteroid’s collision cause to divert Bennu away from Earth.
Their mission is currently in the final leg.
Project manager for OSIRIS_REx at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Centre, Richard Burns, explained: “We are now in the final leg of this seven-year journey, and it feels very much like the last few miles of a marathon, with a confluence of emotions like pride and joy coexisting with a determined focus to complete the race well.”
Bennu is only a third of a mile wide, which doesn’t sound that ridiculous big, however it’s half the size of the asteroid which killed off the dinosaurs so it’s not really a laughing matter.
If Bennu crashes into the Earth, it’s believed to cause devastation 600 miles from the crash site, though fortunately it won’t cause worldwide extinction.
The possibility of Bennu colliding with our planet and causing devastation for future generations is slim, but there still remains the possibility.
While the chances are unlikely, NASA says that there is still a chance Bennu could hit Earth on September 24, 2182.
Thankfully by then anybody reading this article will be long dead already so we don’t have too much to worry about it anyway.
On September 25, 2135, Bennu will make a close flyby of Earth. Bennu’s location in 2182 will vary depending on how the 2135 flyby goes.
According to NASA there’s a one in 1,750 chance Bennu will hit Earth by 2300.
I’ll chance a fiver on it.
Related links:
- Parents pull their kids out of school to travel because they believe they’ll learn more
- The Moon is drifting away from Earth
- India’s moon landing cost less than Christopher Nolan’s Interstellar
