Over the past few years, NASA has been developing various action plans to protect the planet from rogue space bodies like asteroids. In the meantime, several space experts have also hinted the possibility of a doomsday asteroid hit that will happen in the future. Now, NASA has disclosed details about a 340 meters wide asteroid named FT3 that could make 165 close approaches with the Earth between 2019 and 2116.
The first possible chance of impact is expected to happen on October 3 followed by more close flybys October 2, 2024, and October 3, 2025. Even though the chances of a catastrophic collision are very low, experts believe that a possible hit may bring about devastating results in the affected area.
As per current estimations, this rogue space rock weighs an incredible 55,000,000,000 kilograms. If the asteroid enters the Earth, it will slam the surface at a speed of more than 45,000 miles per hour. Shockingly, the force of impact of the asteroid will be equal to 2.7 million tonnes of TNT. It should be noted that the nuclear bomb that created devastation in Japan's Hiroshima during World War II was in the range of 13,000 to 18,000 tonnes.
"In the unlikely case where a particular potential impact event persists until the orbit is relatively well constrained, the impact probability and associated risk will tend to increase as observations are added. This is not too paradoxical: If an asteroid is indeed going to come very near the Earth then a collision cannot be ruled out early on. The impact probability will tend to grow as the orbit is refined and alternative and safer trajectories are eliminated," wrote NASA on their near-Earth object page regarding potential asteroid hits that may happen in the future.
As per the latest updates, the chances of asteroid FT3 hitting the planet is one in 11,000,000.
A few months back, scientists have warned that asteroid Bennu that has the size of the Empire State building will collide with our planet in 2135. It should be noted that asteroid Bennu has an incredible weight of 79 billion kilograms, and a possible impact will trigger devastation in the affected area. As fears surrounding Bennu asteroid looms up, NASA is apparently planning to use planetary defence weapon to deviate the space body's trajectory.
