Today, scientists confirmed the worst possible outcome: the massive asteroid will collide with Earth on Sept. 15, 2072.
The spacecraft is equipped with a powerful radar system called Keck 6. It's capable of monitoring objects that have a diameter between about 5,300 and 10,000 miles. Because the objects don't have a solid surface and are not subject to the gravitational effects of the sun, they are likely to pass very close to the Earth and fly into space. It's safe to say that no one will be injured in a collision. But the consequences are very serious.
"All the consequences are quite large," said NASA's Alan Stern, a member of the Asteroid Warning Consortium.
It will also kill nearly all life on Earth.
"It is likely that a large fragment of the asteroid will hit the Earth's surface, and this will result in a global phenomenon we call the Chicxulub impact event," Stern told CNN affiliate KGTV. The shock wave can be felt as far away as Seattle, Washington. The impact site has a diameter of about 13 miles (20 kilometers)