There is already a lot of talk around the asteroid Apophis, and the most important fear of scientists is the collision with the Earth. And if an object has been moving in the other direction for some time, it has just recently suddenly changed its trajectory and now the threat that it is flying at us has increased several times.
It flies closer and closer.
Apophis was not previously included in the list of the most dangerous asteroids for the Earth, but now stands in first place and attracts the attention of the scientific world. Astrophysicists have a plan for how to fight off asteroids in the future. Close attention to the God of Chaos, as the scientists called Apophis, continues. Not only has the object changed its trajectory, it has also accelerated.
Each year, according to observations, Apophis deviates from its own orbit by 170 m, which makes it more and more dangerous. It is expected that the maximum approach to Earth will occur in early April 2029, it will approach a distance of 38 400 km. This is in the event that the asteroid will not change his mind again and will not change its trajectory. In addition to this date, there are two other critical years: 2036 and 2068.
The fact that the object is able to change its trajectory and increase its speed frightens scientists. This means that the asteroid is completely unpredictable. That is why it is monitored very carefully.
Apophis was first noticed in 2004 by scientists from the U.S., and already then it caused anxiety during the first study. That's why they picked up a corresponding name - the God of Chaos, the name of an ancient Egyptian deity.
In 2013, the object was quite close to us, at a distance of less than 15 million km. Then it was possible to examine the asteroid closer and set its size. The diameter of the object is 325 m, which makes it comparable to the size of the Ostankino TV Tower.
What will be
Apophis rotates and it has the effect of Yarovsky, the surface is heated by sunlight. Because of this, a constantly reactive force is formed, even if it is not very large. It is this force that pushes the asteroid in one direction or another and shifts it out of orbit.
The asteroid will fly very close in 9 years and will be visible even to the naked eye, as it will be located only 31 300 km from the Earth. This will be a record approach, because never before have such objects of hundreds of meters in size flown so close to us. It could hit some communications satellites that are 40,000 km away from the Earth's surface. And if this happens, the asteroid will turn what it encounters in its path into dust. What can happen if an asteroid collides with the planet Earth, look at the video.
Since the asteroid tends to change its trajectory, you can not say exactly what will happen next, but according to the researchers, it will be the year 2029 will be decisive in this case. Then, it will be possible to make more accurate predictions. The threat to the Earth is always there and can not deny it. In addition to the big threat in the form of Apophis, there is a Bennu asteroid, which takes first place in the list of enemies of Earth from space.