At a news conference this week, NASA scientists said there is a 1-in-1,750 chance that asteroid Bennu could collide with Earth between now and the year 2300. (.037%) The previous odds were 1 in 2700.

So, mark your calendars: the greatest chance in the next 300 years will come on September 24, 2182. It’s a Tuesday.

NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona
NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona
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However, scientists say they are not worried. (But honestly, what else would they tell us?)

Still, Bennu and another asteroid known as (29075) 1950 DA (which will get as close as 4 million miles from Earth in 2136) remain the two most hazardous asteroids to Earth – at least for the asteroids that we know of.

NASA was concerned enough about Bennu that it sent a spacecraft to the asteroid and landed on its surface last year, collecting samples (around two ounces) of the space rock. What did NASA learn? That Bennu is VERY ancient and that it’s bigger than the Empire State Building. But the samples won’t return to Earth until the year 2023 because at the time the spacecraft landed on Bennu --- it was 200,000,000 miles from Earth. After orbiting the Sun twice, the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft is due to reach Earth on September 24, 2023.

Photos also showed that this Asteroid has giant boulders embedded in it, the size of cars, houses, and football fields.

By the way, Bennu was named in 2013 by a nine-year-old boy from North Carolina who won the Name that Asteroid! Bennu is the ancient Egyptian deity linked with the sun, creation, and rebirth.

Top 10 Fantastic Breweries in the Cedar Valley & Northeast Iowa - List

It's a quote that rings true, "Local Beer is Better". Why? Because you're supporting your friends and neighbors. Heck, you might even personally know the brewmaster of your favorite local beer. How cool is that? The "dive bar" down on the corner might have it's own place in society, but they're quickly being replaced by local breweries with unique themes and spacious taprooms. On top of that, they take the joy of beer to the next level, with some really good (and sometimes award-winning) beer! Scroll down for our virtual brewery tour.

LOOK: Stunning vintage photos capture the beauty of America's national parks

Today these parks are located throughout the country in 25 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The land encompassing them was either purchased or donated, though much of it had been inhabited by native people for thousands of years before the founding of the United States. These areas are protected and revered as educational resources about the natural world, and as spaces for exploration.

Keep scrolling for 50 vintage photos that show the beauty of America's national parks.

 

 

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