Researchers from the space agency used precision-tracking data from the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft (pictured above) to better understand the potentially hazardous asteroid’s movements.
OSIRIS-REx was launched in 2016 with the primary mission of studying Bennu and ultimately returning a sample of it back to Earth for detailed analysis. It is believed to have successfully collected that sample last October and is currently undergoing the two-year trip back home.
With a firmer understanding of its path, Nasa scientists now believe the odds of Bennu striking the Earth have risen from 1 in 2,700 to 1 in 1,750 over the next century or two.
In 2135, it will make a close approach with Earth, although it will not pose a danger at that time. Nasa said scientists will need to get a grip on its exact trajectory during the encounter in order to predict how Earth’s gravity will alter the asteroid’s path around the Sun and affect the chances of an Earth impact.
“Nasa’s...