Void
An asteroid is approaching Earth – how likely is a collision?
Video graphic: Asteroid mission “Osiris Rex”
Video graphic: Asteroid mission “Osiris Rex”
After successfully collecting rock and dust samples on the asteroid Bennu, the US space probe “Osiris-Rex” heads to its home on Earth. Scientists hope that the mission will provide information about the composition of our solar system.
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Researchers have new insights about the asteroid Bennu: it will come dangerously close to our planet. What could be the consequences.
Berlin.
- The asteroid called Bennu could get closer to Earth than previously thought
- Researchers now estimate that the probability of a collision on Earth is much higher
- However, one should not worry too much about the asteroid, as they say
According to the new scientific findings, the probability is that asteroid benno Earth hits 1 in 1750. Previously, researchers had assumed 1 in 2700. So Bennu could hit Earth in the next 200 years. This was reported by the Associated Press.
The asteroid will be in the year 2135 earth flight Get close to the Earth’s moon. Earth’s gravity could change Bennu’s trajectory so that he’s on a collision course with Earth in the 22nd century—which is unlikely, according to scientists.
“We shouldn’t worry too much about this,” said David Farnocchia, lead study author and a scientist at NASA’s Near-Earth Object Center in Pasadena, California. Because at the same time, thanks to NASA’s Osiris-Rex spacecraft, researchers now have a better idea of Beano’s Wig. “So I think the situation has generally improved,” Varnokia told reporters.
Asteroid Bennu: This would be destruction in a collision
Osiris Rex On September 8, 2016 to return Bennu’s asteroid samples to Earth. Soil samples are taken while the robot arm descends for a few seconds on October 20, 2020. On May 10, 2021, the journey back to Earth begins. The capsule is expected to land in the United States in 2023 with about 100 grams of material.
However, if Bennu does indeed hit Earth, it will not wipe out life – like MeteoriteneinschlagLindley Johnson, NASA’s planetary defense official, said it killed the dinosaurs — but made a crater the size of an asteroid about 10 to 20 times. However, the area of destruction will be much larger: up to 100 times larger than the crater.
Read also: Giant asteroid exceeds Earth – a mystery after discovery
Benno: 492 meters in diameter
Bennu is about as far from the Sun as the Earth is, even if it’s not traveling in a circular orbit like Earth. Benno runs on an ellipse and takes 437 days to complete one cycle. Its shape resembles a dented soccer ball, about 492 meters in diameter and traveling at a rate of 100,000 km / h.
Also interesting: Asteroid “2011 ES4” will soon race across Earth
Since Bennu was discovered back in 1999, scientists can use it flight curve anticipation. Lindley Johnson said finding threatening asteroids early increases the chances of them getting out of the way. (Biff)