Featured image credit: NASA
As if there wasn't enough to be utterly depressed about this year, NASA has decided now is the time to let everyone know that an asteroid could cause 'immense suffering and death'.
It's not like the big lump of rock is going to hit Earth any time soon. Bennu, as it's known, crosses Earth's orbit every six years and will pass between the moon and our planet in 2135.
At 500 metres wide, the fly-by could alter Bennu's orbit which could potentially put it on a collision course with Earth the next time it comes around.
And if it does collide with Earth, it would be the equivalent of someone setting off three billion tonnes of explosives in one go.
Dante Lauretta, professor of planetary science at Arizona University, told the Sunday Times: "It may be destined to cause immense suffering and death.
"We estimate the chance of impact at about one in 2,700 between 2175 and 2196."
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Bennu's Journey. Credit: NASA/YouTube
So everybody on Earth today is safe from death-by-asteroid. We're probably looking at our grandchildren's grandchildren who are going to be affected by Bennu's potential collision with Earth.
NASA is so concerned by Bennu that it is sending a probe to land on the asteroid's surface. The OSRIS-Rex is set to launch in September with the hope of landing on Bennu by 2018.
Scientists hope the probe will be able to collect rock samples from Bennu before heading back to Earth in 2023.
Should it be successful, it will be the first ever mission to land on an asteroid and return to Earth.
If it saves my great, great, great, great, great, great, great grandchildren from a horrific death, then I am all for this mission.
Words by George Pavlou
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Science, World News, Interesting, Nasa, Asteroid