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Image: Screenshot from NASA / Jet Propulsion Laboratory-CalTech
Earth has finally been deemed safe from the potentially dangerous asteroid Apophis, which researchers believed would reach the planet in 2068.
“An impact of 2068 is no longer in the realm of possibility, and our calculations show no risk of impact for at least the next 100 years,” said Davide Farnocchia of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in a communicated last Friday in March. 25.
Asteroid 99942 Apophis was first identified as a threat in 2004, after astronomers predicted it would come dangerously close to Earth in 2029. It was thought to be “the most dangerous asteroids that could impact Earth.”
Years later, when researchers learned more about the asteroid’s orbit, its impact year was moved to 2036 and then adjusted back to 2068.
This risk was eventually ruled out when Apophis made a distant flyby of Earth around March 5, leading to his analysis of the asteroid’s location in 2029.
“Supported by 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,” Farnocchia explained. He added that given JPL’s knowledge of Apophis’s location in eight years, they now have more information on its movement in the future.
Apophis may not hit the planet anytime soon, but researchers are still waiting for its approach on April 13, 2029. On that day, the asteroid will be visible from Earth’s eastern hemisphere without the aid of binoculars or telescopes. This proximity will allow astronomers to get a closer look for research, without worrying about the impact of Apophis on Earth.
So far, scientists know that Apophis is about 340 miles wide and will be about 32,000 meters from Earth in 2029, much closer to Earth than any known communications satellite. That distance is also about one-tenth the distance between the Earth and the Moon. JB
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