Apophis,...a huge rectangular asteroid approaching planet Earth
Apophis,...a huge rectangular asteroid approaching planet Earth
Later this decade, the world will witness an astonishing astronomical event that will have a major impact on human understanding of the universe and space rocks in particular. By 2029, a massive asteroid known as Apophis will approach Earth.
Apophis is one of the near-Earth asteroids that was discovered in 2004. It is named after a demonic serpent that represents evil and chaos in ancient Egyptian mythology.
According to the “gadgets360” website, Apophis, a rectangular asteroid in shape resembling a peanut, is a stony asteroid that scientists believe is composed of silicate materials in addition to iron and nickel.
Michael Nolan, deputy principal investigator, announced that the asteroid is about 340 meters wide, and it is scheduled to pass at a distance of about 31,860 kilometers from the surface of planet Earth on April 13, 2029, becoming visible with the naked eye for a few hours.
Apophis is an asteroid approaching Earth
OSIRIS-APEX will remain near the asteroid Apophis for 18 months, where it will hover directly above and around its surface.
The asteroid Apophis is a remnant of the early solar system. Its minerals and chemical properties have not changed for more than 4.5 billion years, which will help scientists know the origin and evolution of rocky asteroids abroad.
“It won't be globally catastrophic in the sense of a mass extinction, but the impact will definitely fall into the bad category,” Nolan said.
He added: “This object comes at a speed of several miles per second if it collides.” "At that speed, it's not moving whether it's made of gravel or ice or rocks or anything else, it's just something big and heavy moving fast."
Source : websites