Eddie Gonzales Jr. – MessageToEagle.com – Named after the malignant ancient Egyptian serpent God Apophis is a dangerous asteroid that has the potential to destroy our planet.
Ancient Egyptians feared that Apocalypse could be brought about by Apophis, and modern scientists have classified 99942 Apophis as a near-Earth asteroid.
Astronomers follow possible close approaches to the Earth by near-Earth objects (NEOs) and recent observations show Apophis has increased its speed. With a diameter of more than 1000 feet (over 300 meters) and mass of 26.99 billion kg, Apophis has the potential to kill millions of people, but what is the risk it will hit Earth and when will it pass our planet?
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Astronomers from the University of Hawaii report they have observed Yarkovsky acceleration on the near-Earth asteroid Apophis. This acceleration arises from an extremely weak force on an object due to non-uniform thermal radiation.
The Yarkovsky effect is dangerous because this force can cause rotating asteroids to drift widely over time, making it hard for scientists to predict their long-term risk to Earth.
This force is particularly important for the asteroid Apophis, as it affects the probability of an Earth impact in 2068.
Prior to the detection of Yarkovsky acceleration on Apophis, astronomers had concluded that a potential impact with Earth in 2068 was impossible. The detection of this effect acting on Apophis means that the 2068 impact scenario is still a possibility.
Apophis is noteworthy because of its extremely close approach to the Earth on Friday, April 13, 2029, when the 300 meter-sized asteroid will become visible to the unaided eye as it passes within the belt of communications satellites orbiting the Earth.
“We have known for some time that an impact with Earth is not possible during the 2029 close approach,” said Dave Tholen at the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy (IfA).
Tholen has been accurately tracking the motion of Apophis in the sky since his team discovered it in 2004.
“The new observations we obtained with the Subaru telescope earlier this year were good enough to reveal the Yarkovsky acceleration of Apophis, and they show that the asteroid is drifting away from a purely gravitational orbit by about 170 meters per year, which is enough to keep the 2068 impact scenario in play.”
Scientists will continue the observations of the Yarkovsky effect and how it affects Apophis’ orbit. There is no need to worry now and astronomers will know well before 2068 if there is any chance of an impact. At present most astronomers think the chances for impact remain small.
Written by Eddie Gonzales Jr. – MessageToEagle.com Staff