Asteroid Apophis: NASA’s eyes are set on giant asteroid which is set to make closer approach to Earth in near future. They feared that if this meteorite is as big as rock, and it touches the Earth, it can lead to devastation. Meteoroids are space rocks that range in size from dust grains to small asteroids. It’s called a meteorite, if a meteoroid survives its trip through the atmosphere and hits the ground. Meteorites typically range between the size of a pebble or a fist and are mostly made of iron and nickel.
About Asteroid Apophis
Scientists said that the size of this asteroid is 1,100 feet (340 meters) in width and as big as the empire state building. The scientists fear that if it touches the Earth, the explosion caused by it could be as big as hundred atom bombs falling on Earth. Reportedly, the space agency is worried about it as it has been threat to the Earth since 2004.
The asteroid has been named as ‘God of Chaos’ and it will pass at a distance of 19,000 miles from Earth due to the gravitational force of the planet. Apophis was discovered on June 19, 2004, by astronomers Roy Tucker, David Tholen, and Fabrizio Bernardi at the Kitt Peak National Observatory in Tucson, Arizona. The meteorite has been named Space rock 99942 Apophis.
Asteroid 99942 Apophis is a near-Earth object (NEO) estimated to be about 1,100 feet (335 meters) across. With its discovery in 2004, Apophis was identified as one of the most hazardous asteroids that could impact earth. The name Apophis stands for the demon serpent who personified evil and chaos in ancient Egyptian mythology.
When Will It Pass?
However, there is a sigh of relief as this Asteroid will pass less than 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometers) from our planet’s surface on April 13, 2029. Apophis is about 1,100 feet (340 meters) in width. It’s expected to safely pass close to Earth; this will be the closest approach to Earth by an asteroid of this size that scientists have known about in advance. The giant asteroid will be visible to observers on the ground in the Eastern Hemisphere without the aid of a telescope or binoculars.
NASA said, “With the support of recent optical observations and additional radar observations, the uncertainty in Apophis’ orbit has collapsed from hundreds of kilometers to just a handful of kilometers 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.”
Since its discovery, Apophis has been continuously tracked by the scientists.
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