Impending Asteroid Threat: NASA Warns of Aircraft-Sized Space Rock Approaching Earth

NASA scientists are monitoring asteroid Bennu, a 1,610-foot-wide cosmic object that could potentially collide with Earth by September 24, 2182. Bennu, taller than the Empire State Building, could release 1,200 megatons of energy upon impact, 24 times more powerful than the most powerful nuclear weapon. Although the chances of collision are currently low, Bennu is classified as a "potentially hazardous asteroid" and is being closely studied by NASA's OSIRIS-REx mission, which collected samples from the asteroid's surface in 2020.