In what seems to be a drama of epic proportions that plays out in real-time, there is news again of an asteroid 99942 Apophis or the “God of Chaos”, as is deemed danger. As Earth gets ready for what would be the closest meeting with a strange object in 2029, rest assured that Nasa cross latest buffering will be able to shift the focus of our sights to the celestial bodies of the solar system.
Apophis: From cosmic threat to scientific marvel
Apophis was discovered in 2004 by the astronomer depot Kitt Peak National Observatory; effort showed that not many people were familiar with Apophis. Mean population where this asteroid has avg approximately 335 meters in diameter was derived one of the most hazardous NEA’s A type asteroid. The asteroid was said to pass extremely close to the earth in the year 2029 raising concerns of a possible impact. This prediction, however, has been faulted as the astronomers improved in tracking Apophis.
The revolutionary achievement had gone until March 2021. Carrying out the measurement from Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex and Green Bank Telescope, Scientists obtained images of Apophis with such high resolution that the trajectory of the asteroid could be plotted accurately.
The science behind the spectacle
That characteristics Apophis is considered to be the S type asteroid composed of silicate material and nickel iron alloy. Another fascinating factor of this asteroid is that, its configuration is said to be somewhat of a “peanut shape”. There is a scientific curiosity related to this rotation concerning the structure of the object itself, in particular its ability for ‘asteroid’s quakes’, caused by the action of gravity.
The 2029 flyby: A cosmic spectacle
The famous asteroid Apophis, on April 13, 2029, is expected to be less than 20,000 miles (32000 km) above the Earth’s surface. This distance is nearer to the geostationary satellites than the geo orbiting ones. The area that will be affected is eastern hemisphere, will have opportunities to observe the apophis asteroid in a fairly straightforward manner. “While there was a recent close apophysis of the earth, it was still almost 10.6 million miles away anyways,” said JPL scientist Marina Brozovic. A claim, however, that this was a near miss would not make sense given that we could get very precise distance measurements and time sequences.”
Why is everyone talking about it now?
The current enthusiasm of the public has overwhelmed with the broadcasted reports of Nasa showing live transmission of Apophis asteroid which is a very rare occasion considering the size of the asteroid. There is however, a flaw in this assertion.
There is the possibility of monitoring Apophis and other astronomers by NASA as the asteroid would be coming close to the earth in 2029, but there exists no such asteroid broadcasting live stream.
The change in its path can be ascertained from covering/how-tos/the-how-to-guide that is provided on the official Nasa website.
Animation of the Approach of the Asteroid Apophis In the Year 2029
Could the ‘god of chaos’ change its path?
As for the asteroid itself, some experts try to talk the public down using rhetoric that regardless of its other name, there are still almost no chances of it colliding — at least this time around.
“Apophis is not heading towards the earth and is going to collide with it in 2029”, Dr Sarah Thompson a prominent astrophysicist around Nasa was quoted by media. “But we are cautious about any calculation as objects in space don’t always behave in such a predictable manner in the course of time.”
“Well, I would not call it a miracle shot but it is a long shot yes, and it is there,” Dr Thompson added. “We are using every resource we have to calculations of its movements and most importantly making sure we are not taken by surprise.”
However, they William Turner, revealed the shocking news: While extensive analysis met all conclusions confirming the Gonnat asteroid does present any threat at least for the next century, keyword: at least, remained. “A 2068 impact is… no more in the realm of possibility anymore,” said Farnocchia.
What happens if it hits?
It is reported in the news that if ever Apophis were to strike the Earth, there would be substantial damages upon the earth. A large asteroid impact of this magnitude would yield an explosion with an energy of more than 1,200 megaton of TNT enough to destroy cities. Damage would affect both the geographical region and the entire planet with ranges from tidal waves to destructive changes in the atmosphere.
OSIRIS-APEX: Nasa’s spacecraft to study the asteroid
Intending towards such a close encounter, Nasa has found a new purpose in its OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, rebranding it as OSIRIS-APEX for the close flyby of Apophis well focused towards destructive analysis of the asteroid settlement. After completing its mission ‘for good’ in 2023 to collect samples at asteroid Bennu, OSIRIS-APEX plans to pass Apophis on April 23, 2029, after which there will be an eighteen-month probe. The spacecraft’s objectives are to carry out surface mapping of Apophis, composition analysis and monitoring the thermal evolution.
A cosmic relic
Apophis was formed within the first 4.6 billion years of the early solar system. Its existence in its present state ignoring the inner planets in its path from the main asteroid belt to the Earth-crossing orbit was governed by Jupiter’s gravity.
What’s in a name?
Eponym of the ancient Egyptian demon of chaos, Apophis still interests both science and the public. While this might be a little caricatural given the nature of the objects science, it brings the public fascination with one such jewel of the solar system closer, the asteroid, as it approaches to the earth.
