Many asteroids are floating in space that NASA and other organizations are looking for. One of these asteroids is about the size of the Eiffel Tower and is called the Apophis. Scientists recently said they could not deny that Apophis could affect Earth in 2068.
Scientists at the University of Hawaii for Astronomy have announced that they have found a phenomenon called Yarkovsky acceleration on the planet. This type of acceleration is caused by a very weak force on the object caused by non-uniform thermal radiation. It’s a complex way of saying that sunlight is changing the path of asteroids over time.
In the past, scientists did not believe that a view of impact with Earth was possible. However, new observations indicate that the planet is moving away from the eclipse at a distance of about 170 meters per year. That amount of drift is enough to potentially keep the possibility of impact on Earth.
Scientists have been observing Apophysis since 2004, and back in 2013, scientists announced that the planet would not affect Earth in 2036. The threat was previously thought to have an impact in 2029, but has been ruled out. Interestingly, Apophis will come close to Earth on Friday, April 13, 2029, making it visible to the naked eye.
When that happens, astronomers will observe the future of the affected planet in 2068 and have been working for a very long time to deal with potentially dangerous asteroids. The NASA DART mission will crash a spacecraft into the mood of an asteroid eclipse to see if it can be used to prevent any potential effects in the future. Researchers point out that there is no reason to worry about the potential impact in 2068 at this time. He says he will know well before that date if there will be an impact.
