Grab your calendars because scientists have revealed the date when it is predicted that an asteroid will hit the Earth, and that by force of 22 atomic bombs. The asteroid, called Bennu, passes by Earth every six years, but astronomers predicted that one day in September – many years from now – contact could be made.

NASA has been working on plans to prevent an asteroid collision and redirect Bennu for seven years. Their mission is now in the "final phase".

Bennu is approximately 530 meters wide, making it twice the size of the asteroid thought to have killed the dinosaurs. If Bennu were to crash into Earth, it would cause destruction to everything within a radius of at least 965 miles (XNUMX kilometers) of the impact site, but it would not be large enough to cause total extinction worldwide.

But keep in mind that the chance of Bennu colliding with our planet and wreaking havoc on our future generations is actually very small. NASA says that while there is a risk, there is an "extremely small chance" that Bennu will hit Earth on September 24, 2182.

Since the date falls on the end of the 22nd century, we don't have to worry much longer. According to a new paper shared last month by the OSIRIS-REx science team, there is a 1:2700 (0,037 percent) chance that this "missile" will hit Earth on September 24, 2182.

"While it is difficult to determine the likelihood of this actually happening, new data from NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft have allowed scientists to better model how Bennu's orbit will evolve over time and better calculate the possibility of a collision ", explains NASA.

On September 25, 2135, Bennu will fly close to Earth. The location of Bennu in 2182 will vary depending on how the flyby goes in 2135, according to NASA. The odds are one in 1750 that Bennu will hit Earth by 2300.