NASA says Asteroid Bennu now more likely to hit Earth

NASA's Osiris-Rex spacecraft has provided new data indicating a higher chance of asteroid Bennu impacting Earth, with a 1 in 2700 chance on September 24, 2182. The spacecraft collected samples from Bennu and is returning to Earth. The potential impact could release energy equivalent to 1.1 billion tons of TNT. NASA's precise calculations, measuring Bennu's distance from Earth to within 7 feet, were achieved through data collected between 2019 and 2020.

What new information did scientists use to reassess the likelihood of Bennu hitting Earth?

• Data from a new telescope

• Calculations from a supercomputer

• Information from NASA's Osiris-Rex spacecraft

• Observations from the Hubble Space Telescope

When is the most likely date for Bennu to impact Earth?

• August 30th, 2175

• July 4th, 2190

• October 15th, 2200

• September 24th, 2182

How does the energy of a potential Bennu impact compare to the Beirut explosion?

• It would be 1,000,000 times more powerful

• It would be 1,000 times more powerful

• It would be 2,000,000 times more powerful

• It would be 2,000 times more powerful

What level of precision did NASA achieve in measuring Bennu's distance from Earth?

• Within a few thousandths of an inch

• Within a few feet

• Within a few inches

• Within a few miles

How does NASA's precision in measuring Bennu's orbit compare to measuring distances between landmarks?

• Like measuring the distance between the Empire State Building and the Eiffel Tower

• Like measuring the distance between two cities

• Like measuring the distance between two countries

• Like measuring the distance between two continents