Like other Apollo asteroids, it has a very wide orbit that occasionally intersects with that of Earth as it goes around the Sun. In a new study, academics who work alongside Nasa's scientists concluded that "using a single Hammer spacecraft as a battering ram would prove inadequate for deflecting an object like Bennu". Nasa's Hammer (Hypervelocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response) craft is meant to be able to steer huge rocks away, so they will not crash into Earth. According to Sentry, Bennu’s Earth impact could happen sometime between 21. NASA warned that the asteroid known as Bennu has a chance of hitting Earth and destroying a large portion of the planet in the future. Due to its Earth-crossing orbit, Bennu has been labeled as a potentially hazardous asteroid. Here’s what we already know (and some of what we hope to find out) about this pristine remnant from the early days of our solar system. Email us at or call 02.Ĭlick here to upload yours. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). The Hammer craft is also able to destroy asteroids with nuclear bombs, but this is not the preferred option because of the possible disastrous consequences. It is named after the Bennu, the ancient Egyptian mythological bird associated with the Sun, creation, and reb… Bennu has a 1 in 2,700 chance of striking Earth on Septemand while those odds seem to be in our favour, they are minuscule in astronomical terms.Īccording to Sentry, Bennu’s Earth impact could happen sometime between 21. “Specifically, all asteroids with a minimum orbit intersection distance of 0.05 or less and an absolute magnitude of 22.0 or less are considered ,” the agency added.īut US scientists have ruled the craft which is just nine metres tall as"inadequate", saying it will not be able to redirect the asteroid.Ī precise date is difficult to determine as the physical properties of Bennu are not fully known, such as the exact magnitude and direction of the asteroid. To enable Verizon Media and our partners to process your personal data select 'I agree', or select 'Manage settings' for more information and to manage your choices. Bennu is located more than 200 million miles away from Earth but has an orbit that can swing it to within 4.6 million miles of the planet.Ĭomments are subject to our community guidelines, which can be viewed, A digital illustration of an asteroid crashing into Earth, like scientists believe Bennu will in 2135, Nasa's tiny HAMMER spacecraft, designed to protect Earth from asteroids, has been deemed 'inadequate' to stop Bennu crashing into the blue planet, How Nasa's DART rocket will smash into rogue asteroids to knock them off course, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). “Potentially Hazardous Asteroids are currently defined based on parameters that measure the asteroid’s potential to make threatening close approaches to the Earth,” NASA said in a statement. According to the space agency, this massive asteroid can cause almost 80 potential impact events on Earth. Known as 101955 Bennu – or simply Bennu – the asteroid, discovered in September 1999 is the size of five football fields and weighs approximately 79billion kg – 1,664 times as heavy as the Titanic.Īsteroid Bennu, also known as 101955 (1999 RQ36), is currently listed under NASA’s Sentry, which is the agency’s automated impact monitoring system. Information about your device and internet connection, including your IP address, Browsing and search activity while using Verizon Media websites and apps. Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. From weddings to drugs scandals & arrests, Woman gives up ironing after £2.50 spray makes bed sheets look freshly pressed, I’m mum-shamed for looking ‘perfect’- I won't be scummy, I love my hair & nails, ©News Group Newspapers Limited in England No.