In 2135, the asteroid Bennu dangerously approaches Earth. NASA says it does not expect their orbits to collide, but it is possible that the Earth’s gravitational field will affect the asteroid’s trajectory. Even so, scientists have been able to calculate the approximate probability of our planet colliding with Benna.
The highest probability that a quarter-kilometer asteroid will hit Earth is sometime in 2300, at 0.057 percent. According to NASA, the highest probability of a collision in a single day will occur on September 24, 2182, when it will reach 0.037 percent. The same probability of a collision with the Earth is 2200 throughout the year. Further studies indicate that between 2175 and 2196 there may be several other possible collisions with a cumulative collision probability of 0.037 percent.
NASA sent an OSIRIS-REx probe to Benn to take samples. These should return to Earth in 2023. “Orbital data from OSIRIS-REx will help us better assess the likelihood of Benn’s impact on Earth in the coming centuries and our overall knowledge of potentially dangerous asteroids,” said a professor at the University of Arizona and one of the Dante Lauretta project researchers.
In addition to the asteroid Bennu, the 1950 DA asteroid is currently the greatest danger to Earth. It was discovered in February 1950. Researchers observed it for 17 days and then lost sight of it for half a century. Originally, it was the asteroid with the greatest chance of Earth intervention, but further calculations significantly reduced this risk.
Bennu is named after the sacred bird Bennu, which was worshiped by the inhabitants of ancient Egypt. According to the Canadian Museum of History, the word comes from the meaning of weben, which means “to rise” or “to shine.” Represented the soul of the sun god Re, it is sometimes also associated with the revival of the god Usir. Bennu was also known to the ancient Greeks, but they called him the Phoenix.
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