[ad_1]
Apophis, named after the Egyptian deity who personified evil and chaos, arrives. The huge asteroid will fly unusually close to Earth on Friday, but fear not: experts have confirmed it will stay at a safe distance – in fact, millions of miles away.
According to Space, the asteroid Apophis will approach Earth at a distance of 0.11 astronomical units, or about 10 million miles. This distance is considered “close” in astronomical terms but according to Earthsky, there is no chance that Apophis will collide with Earth. However, it won’t be the only time this piece of space debris has moved closer to our planet.
NASA predicts that Apophis will pass even closer to Earth on April 13, 2029, reaching a similar proximity to the distance at which some spacecraft orbit the planet. It is rare for an asteroid of this size to pass so close to Earth, although smaller asteroids have been observed at similar distances.
“Apophis’ close approach in 2029 will be an incredible opportunity for science,” said Marina Brozović, radar researcher at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
According to NASA, current calculations indicate that the chances of Apophis impacting Earth in the future are very low – less than 1 in 100,000. Radar images suggest the cosmic object, which is about 300 meters tall. long, resembles a peanut due to its elongated and distorted shape.
The European Virtual Telescope Project will broadcast the asteroid flyby on its website starting at 7 p.m. EST.
Hopefully, residents of the luxury space hotel slated for completion in 2027 will be in a safe orbit when Apophis returns two years later.
[ad_2]
Source link