PASADENA, Oct 12 — NASA scientists believe a giant asteroid called 1950DA could collide with Earth in the year 2880.
The 1.1-kilometre-wide asteroid travels at about 15 kilometres per second relative to Earth. The celestial rock was first discovered in February 1950. Scientists now believe asteroid 1950 DA travels along a trajectory that will bring it very close to Earth on March 16, 2880. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory scientists performed radar analysis and other research on 1950DA. They believe it has a 0.3 per cent probability of colliding with the Earth. If a collision occurs, it would slam into the Atlantic Ocean at a speed of 61,155 kilometres per hour, with a force of 44,800 mega-tonnes of TNT. — Reuters