According to NASA, asteroid named Bennu could hit earth in year 2035, causing immense destruction, equivalent to destruction caused by several most powerful nuclear weapons.
This asteroid which travels at speed of 63,000 mph, will pass between Earth and Moon, will come under the gravity of both planets that may affect its path, more powerful gravity of Earth may drag it towards Earth. Although Bennu is only 500 meter in diameter, it is still big enough not to burn entirely in the Earth’s atmosphere, crashing on Earth with devastating effect.
According to Sunday Times’s Space expert, such a close orbit will be potentially dangerous for mankind. No wonder NASA is sending space probe to investigate and learn more about this tiny asteroid and if it possess any danger to Earth, how to stop such a scenario from happening. It will take at least three years to reach the asteroid.
The probe could land on the surface, take rock samples, analyse and send back the information to Earth for scientists to study. As Scientists have more than 100 years to plan, it could be blasted into millions of tiny pieces which will burn harmlessly in the Earth’s atmosphere, as it is happening to millions of shooting stars entering Earth’s atmosphere every year.
It could also be possible with advance technology to change orbit of such asteroids, diverting it away from Earth and Moon, passing harmlessly without causing any undue anxiety.
Bhupendra M. Gandhi
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