Earthlings can breathe a sigh of relief after US space agency Nasa confirmed that the planet was “safe” from an asteroid that was once feared for at least the next 100 years.
Nasa had considered Apophis to be one of the most dangerous asteroids to Earth after its discovery in 2004.
Close calls were expected in 2029 and 2036 and were re-ruled. There was still some threat for 2068.
But now Nasa has eliminated that threat based on a new analysis of the asteroid.
“The impact of 2068 is no longer in the capacity scenario, and our calculations do not show any impact risk for at least the next 100 years,” said Davide Farnocchia, a scientist who studies near-misses. the Earth for Nasa, in its statement Friday.
Named after the ancient Egyptian god of chaos and darkness, Apophis is estimated to measure 340m (1,100ft) across – around three UK football pitches.
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The asteroid recently flew far away from Earth on March 5, going within 17 million km (10 million miles) of the planet.
Astronomers were able to use radar observations to refine their estimate of the orbit of the asteroid around the Sun, allowing them to confidently manage the risk of any impact in 2068 and beyond.
“When I started working with asteroids after college, Apophis was the poster child for dangerous asteroids,” Mr. Farnocchia said. “There’s some satisfaction in seeing it removed from the risk list.”
He said Nasa was “looking forward to the science we could find through its close approach in 2029”.
A close-up never seen before
The close approach described by Mr. Farnocchia will take place on April 13, 2029. On that date, the asteroid is expected to pass within 32,000 km of the Earth’s surface.
That’s about one-tenth the distance between the Earth and the Moon.
Through that 2029 intimacy approach, Apophis will be visible to onshore viewers in the Eastern Hemisphere of the Earth, which includes Asia, Africa and parts of Europe.
No telescope or telescope will be needed, unlike Nasa ‘s observation on March 5th.
However, even at that time, the radar images of the asteroid had “remarkable intent”, the group said.
“If we had binoculars as powerful as this radar, we would be able to sit in Los Angeles and read a dinner menu at a restaurant in New York,” said Nasa scientist Marina Brozovic.
Three potentially dangerous asteroids
Nasa monitors asteroids that may one day threaten close-earth approaches, designating them as Potentially Dangerous Asteroids (PHA).
They all have codenames responding to robots from the Star Wars movie series. Here are three.
1950 DA
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The 1950 DA Asteroid was discovered on February 23, 1950, before disappearing
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It was finally discovered fifty years later, allowing scientists to make new calculations about the 1.3km asteroid
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A possible near-Earth approach on March 16, 2880 was identified
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But the numbers of hits are just long. Nasa said there is a 0.012% chance of an impact on Earth
2010 RF12
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2010 RF12 tops the Nasa watch list for Earth probability
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There is a 4.7% chance of the asteroid colliding, which is estimated to be 7m in diameter
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Nasa claims that the first possible impact could occur on September 5, 2095
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That feels even more frightening, though. Because the asteroid is relatively small, it would not pose a major threat to Earth, scientists say
2012 HG2
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The first possible ground impact at this rate could occur on February 12, 2052, Nasa predicts
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Measuring approximately 14m in diameter, in 2012 HG2 has the highest number of ground impacts on the Nasa watchlist
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Again, because the asteroid is relatively small, it may have burned up in the Earth’s atmosphere.