NASA capture incredible image of 87 million tonne ‘Apocalypse asteroid’

NASA has captured a stunning photograph of a gargantuan asteroid hurtling towards Earth which is capable of ending life as we know it.

But the space agency insists any doomsday preparations would be premature, as the rock is not expected to fly by the planet until next century.

In the image captured by the OSIRIS-Rex probe, Earth and the Moon resemble a mere dot to the 87 million tonne asteroid, named Bennu.

The OSIRIS-Rex is currently orbiting the asteroid on an observatory mission, with plans to land on its surface in 2020.

It will collect samples of the rock before returning to Earth, hopefully helping to unlock some of the secrets behind the origins of human existence.

Scientists hope the asteroid will help to prove a theory that billions of years ago asteroids colliding with our planet transferred vital chemicals to the Earth’s surface, prompting living organisms to formulate.

But Bennu, dubbed the ‘apocalypse asteroid’, also carries a potential threat of extinction.

The probe will be landing on Bennu’s surface (shown) in 2020 to hopefully help uncover some of the secrets behind our existence on Earth 

HOW WILL NASA’S OSIRIS-REX MISSION TO TAKE SAMPLES FROM AN ASTEROID WORK?

Osiris-Rex is the first US mission designed to return a piece of an asteroid to Earth.  

Scientists say the ancient asteroid could hold clues to the origin of life. 

It’s believed to have formed 4.5 billion years ago, a remnant of the solar system’s building blocks.

The spacecraft launched on September 8, 2016 at 19:05 EST aboard an Atlas V rocket.

After a careful survey of Bennu to characterise the asteroid and locate the most promising sample sites, Osiris-Rex will collect between 2 and 70 ounces (about 60 to 2,000 grams) of surface material with its robotic arm and return the sample to Earth via a detachable capsule in 2023.

To capture samples on the surface, the craft will hover over a specific area and ‘will be sent down at a very slow and gently’ 4 inches (10 cm) per second. 

The spacecraft will also carry a laser altimeter, a suite of cameras provided by the University of Arizona, spectrometers and lidar, which is similar to radar, using light instead of radio waves to measure distance. 

Taller than the Empire State building and 1,664 times heavier than the Titanic, if Bennu collided with Earth the impact would release more energy than all the nuclear weapons detonated in history.

Or 80,000 times the amount released by the Hiroshima atomic bomb.

Reassuringly though, NASA insist the chances of it colliding – around one in 2,700 – are very slim, and humans would likely live to see another day even if it did.

But on the contrary, should the rock defy the odds, experts say the spacecrafts designed by NASA to stop asteroids would likely be ineffective against Bennu.

There may be hope for their newest venture, the HAMMER – or Hyper-velocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response vehicle – that’s designed to either blow up asteroids with nuclear bombs or steer the asteroid onto a different course.

However, experts say that just one HAMMER is likely to be as ineffective as its predecessor against Bennu – unless the less favorable nuclear option is utilized.

‘The consequences would be dire,’ said Kirsten Howley, a physicist at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory who is part of the planetary defense team.

The rock holds a one in 2,700 chance of colliding with the planet between 2175 and 2199, according to NASA

Current defense methods designed by the space company would likely prove to be ineffective against the giant Bennu,  according to experts

For scientists, launching just one deflector craft to Bennu could take up to seven and a half years.

And Howley believes its better to act sooner rather than later in precautionary preparation.

‘Delay is the greatest enemy of any asteroid deflection mission,’ she said.