A study simulated the potential damage if Bennu, a potentially hazardous asteroid, collided with Earth. The impact could trigger a sudden onset of winter, cause global food shortages, and disrupt the planet's climate for several years.
On September 24, 2182, a relatively large space rock has a 0.037% chance of crashing onto the surface of Earth. Although the chances of impact are slim, Bennu is still one of the most potentially hazardous known asteroids in our solar system, and we need to be prepared for what could come. A first-of-its-kind study simulated the planet-wide damage that would be caused by Bennu ’s unlikely impact, leading to a sudden onset of winter and global food shortages.
Axel Timmermann, director of the IBS Center for Climate Physics at Pusan National University in South Korea, and co-author of the study, said in an emailed statement. “ The collision would inject 100 million to 400 million tons of dust into the upper atmosphere, the team concluded, impacting the global climate, atmospheric chemistry, and photosynthesis of terrestrial plants, as well as plankton in the ocean.
Space ASTEROID Bennu Impact Climate Change Food Security
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