Asteroid 99942 Apophis nicknamed ‘God of Chaos’ dashes towards Earth
Asteroid 99942 Apophis, nicknamed ‘God of Chaos’ and billed as one the most dangerous near Earth objects, is fast hurtling towards our planet, and space agencies are keeping a close watch
[NASA image]
Asteroid 99942 Apophis, nicknamed ‘God of Chaos’ and billed as one the most dangerous near Earth objects, is fast hurtling towards our planet, and space agencies are keeping a close watch.
Asteroid 99942 sized 1,100 feet or 335 meters was first discovered in 2004 by astronomers at Kitt Peak National Observatory.
The asteroid - classified as an S-type asteroid, which is composed of silicate materials mixed with nickel and iron and resembles a "peanut”, is predicted to have its closest encounter with Earth on April 13, 2029.
It however hit the headlines once again after its discovery in 2004 after American space agency NASA Sunday broadcasted a live feed of Apophis, offering a rare glimpse at an asteroid of this magnitude and potential changes in its trajectory as it hurls through space.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) also said it is monitoring the movement of asteroid 99942 Apophis. It said it has added new portfolio called Network for Space Objects Tracking and Analysis (NETRA) for the purpose.
About 99942 Apophis
According to NASA, asteroid 99942 Apophis is a near-Earth object (NEO) estimated to be about 1,100 feet (335 meters) across.
When it was discovered in 2004, Apophis was identified as one of the most hazardous asteroids that could impact Earth. But that impact assessment changed after astronomers tracked Apophis, and its orbit became better determined.
Apophis made a distant flyby of Earth around March 5, 2021. “Apophis made a recent close approach with Earth but it was still nearly 10.6 million miles away”, Marina Brozovic, a scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), said.
99942 Apophis flyby Earth
The asteroid, which is predicted to have its closest encounter with Earth on April 13, 2029, sparked fears of a potential collision. This forecast, however, has been revised as astronomers tracked Apophis with increasing precision.
When Apophis made flyby of Earth in March 2021, astronomers took the opportunity to use powerful radar observations to refine the estimate of its orbit around the Sun with extreme precision, enabling them to confidently rule out any impact risk in 2068and long after.
“A 2068 impact is not in the realm of possibility anymore, and our calculations don’t show any impact risk for at least the next 100 years,” said Davide Farnocchia of NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS), which is managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
“With the support of recent optical observations and additional radar observations, the uncertainty in Apophis’ orbit has collapsed from hundreds of kilometres to just a handful of kilometres when projected to 2029. This greatly improved knowledge of its position in 2029 provides more certainty of its future motion, so we can now remove Apophis from the risk list”, Farnocchia said.
Marina Brozovic also ruled out any collision or impact risk when Apophis approaches Earth in 2029.
"Apophis was nearly 10.6 million miles (17 million kilometers) away when it made a close approach with Earth in March 2021. Even so, we were able to acquire incredibly precise information about its distance to an accuracy of about 150 meters (490 feet),” Marina Brozovic, who led the radar campaign, said.
“This campaign not only helped us rule out any impact risk, it set us up for a wonderful science opportunity", she added.
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