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Scientists were able to take a photo of the asteroid Doomsday, the ancient Egyptian god of chaos.
Scientists believe that the flight of the “God of Darkness and Destruction” near Earth in 2068 is what interests them, as there is a one in 530,000 chance that it will strike Earth.
Apophis is ranked by astronomers as one of the scariest space rocks in the entire solar system, and it’s now gearing up for its proximity to Earth over the next month or so.
Scientists were able to take a photo of the asteroid, officially known as Apophis 99942, as it prepares to fly over our planet soon, at its lowest distance from Earth.
Astronomers captured the image of the asteroid this week. The width of the asteroid named after “Apophis”, the god of chaos in the ancient Egyptians, is 370 meters, and simulations of its future orbit reveal that it could one day collide with Earth, although that opportunities are almost non-existent according to Russia today.
Apophis, which has also been dubbed an ‘apocalyptic asteroid’, will fly close to Earth at a distance of 15 million kilometers next month, a distance that will not affect the asteroid’s orbital path but close enough to be seen. by the average person using telescopes.
This passage will not be close enough to be affected by Earth’s gravity, but it will provide a rare glimpse of the asteroid.
Astronomers have captured the last image of the virtual telescope project. They said, “Eight years after our previous sightings, we have recaptured Apophis (99942), the king of potentially dangerous asteroids.”
Scientists added that the image was taken by the Elena robotic telescope unit, using a single sky exposure for a period of 300 seconds.
And they continued, “The telescope follows the apparent movement of the asteroid, which is why the stars appear as short paths, while the asteroid appears as a bright, sharp point of light in the center of the image, marked by an arrow. “
The giant space rock will pass close to Earth again in 2029, but its flight near our planet in 2068 is what interests experts the most.
US-based astronomers recently said there is a one in 530,000 chance it will hit Earth in 2068.
Scientists at the University of Hawaii have discovered a small acceleration of the Yarkovsky effect (a force affecting an object orbiting space resulting from scattering emissions made up of thermal photons carrying momentum) on the surface of the asteroid Apophis which could affect the trajectory of the asteroid in 2068..
The Yarkovsky effect occurs when an asteroid or celestial body changes orbit due to a small surge of heat, either on its own to expel gases or to push gravity and the propulsion of celestial bodies, including the sun and Earth.
In this case, the scientists discovered a small thermal reaction that could slightly alter the trajectory of Apophis.
However, astronomers will have a better understanding of the trajectory of the future asteroid as it approaches Earth in 2029.
And Apophis was called the god of evil, darkness and destruction in ancient Egypt.
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