NASA Believes Massive Asteroid Might Devastate The Planet In 159 Years

Will an asteroid change life on Earth as we know it in just 159 years?

That's the fear NASA scientists have, and the situation sounds like it's straight out of the movie "Armageddon."

Scientists at the organization believe a huge asteroid known as Bennu could take out an area the size of Texas in the year 2182," according to the New York Post.

The Post reported, "On September 25, 2135, Bennu will make a close fly-by past Earth and has a miniscule chance through a pass through a “gravitational keyhole” that would send the space rock on a collision course for the planet in 2182 — 159 years from now."

A massive asteroid might hit Earth in 159 years. (Illustration by Tobias Roetsch/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

A massive asteroid might hit Earth in 159 years.

What are the odds the asteroid smashes into Earth? On paper, it doesn't seem overly high at 037%, but that's still way too high for comfort.

In case you're wondering what kind of power an impact of an asteroid a third of a mile wide is, it would be devastating for the region that takes the blow.

The impact would be roughly the same as getting hit by 22 atomic bombs, according to Earth.com. While it might not be enough to totally wipe out the entire planet's population, it would certainly be more than enough to take out entire countries, depending on where it hits.

Will a huge asteroid hit Earth in 159 years? (Credit: Getty Images)

What is the plan?

The good news is the world and the USA currently has 159 year head start, and there's only one plan that should be considered.

Find some oil rig drillers and train them to be astronauts. It's right out of Michael Bay's playbook. Let's fly oil rig workers up to this beast, drill into, plant a nuclear weapon and light this firecracker.

It's either that or governments are going to be lobbing nukes at Bennu from the ground. Either way, it needs to be blown up sooner than later.

Fortunately for myself and everyone reading this, I'll be long gone by the time Bennu might hit the planet with the same power as nearly two dozen nuclear weapons. However, it might be time to make sure our great-great-grandchildren take engineering classes. It sounds like they're going to need it.