What is Asteroid Apophis that could come very close to Earth in 2029 and how dangerous is it?
Space agencies around the world, including India's ISRO, have been tracking an asteroid that could come dangerously close to Earth in a couple of years. The asteroid, Apophis, which is named after the Egyptian God of Chaos, is a near-Earth asteroid and a potentially hazardous object with a diameter of 370 metres.
Will?Apophis collide with Earth?
Officially called Apophis 99942, the asteroid, which orbits around the Sun, was discovered in 2004. At that time, scientists had given it a 2.7% chance of hitting Earth in 2029, when it comes closest to our planet. Scientists had also found that Apophis 99942 could be on a collision course with Earth in 2036. However, further observations in 2021 ruled out Apophis 99942 colliding with our planet in either 2029 or 2036.
Visible to naked eye in 2029
Based on radar observations during a distant flyby of Earth on 5th March 2021, astronomers have ruled out any impact risk from Apophis 99942 to our planet, at least until 2068.
The next flyby of Earth will happen on 13th April 2029, when Apophis will be passing less than 20,000 miles above Earth¡¯s surface, closer than the orbits of geosynchronous satellites ¡ª meaning it will be visible to the naked eye.
Could still affect satellites
This proximity to Earth has been a matter of concern for scientists, as Apophis could do a great deal of damage to communication satellites.
The ESA said in 2021 that at this distance, Earth¡¯s gravity will have a notable impact on the passing space rock, altering its path and amplifying the uncertainty in its orbit and in possible future impacts.
What would happen if Apophis collides with Earth?
According to the Planetary Society, in the unlikely scenario of Apophis colliding with Earth, the event would cause widespread destruction up to several hundred kilometres from its impact site. The energy released would be equal to more than 1,000 megatons of TNT, or tens to hundreds of nuclear weapons.
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