The 'god of chaos' asteroid Apophis is set to have a close encounter with Earth in 2029. Experts say that the peanut-shaped asteroid will undergo physical transformation following its journey. It will experience landslides and earthquakes that will alter its landscape dramatically.

The 1,100-foot-long asteroid was first discovered in 2021, and since then it has intrigued astronomers who have been constantly studying it. Apophis was initially feared to be on a collision course with Earth, but now experts say it has a much smaller chance of hitting the planet than earlier feared.&nbsp;

It will come as close as 32,000 kilometres to Earth on April 13, 2029. While Earth itself won't be affected, the planet's gravitational pull will lead rocks on the asteroid to tumble and toss around, altering the rocky visitor.&nbsp;

Ronald-Louis Ballouz, an asteroid scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory researched the implications of the flyby on Apophis. The study is currently available on the arXiv preprint database and has been accepted for publication in The Planetary Science Journal.

He told Live Science that asteroids normally face constant bombardment by tiny meteoroids in a process called space weathering. However, asteroids that pass close to planets like Earth do not have weathered surfaces. What happens to it?

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Experts believe that a planet's gravity pulls the rocks from the surface, revealing a smoother underlayer. Using computer models, Ballouz and other researchers created a specimen based on another two-lobed asteroid, Itokawa. They simulated the models moving towards Earth and noted all the changes that happened in the process.&nbsp;

<h2>Tremors and landslides on Apophis</h2>

The team found that Earth will shape Apophis in two ways during its 2029 encounter. Quakes will start to shake the surface of the asteroid around an hour before Apophis reaches its closest point to Earth. These tremors will continue for some more time after it has left Earth's region.

"Apophis' gravity is about 250,000 times smaller than Earth's. So, we think that events of much smaller magnitude could plausibly shake things up on its surface," he said.

Some rocks will get uprooted and escape the asteroids, while others will fall back creating noticeable patterns on their surface.&nbsp;

The other change will be in the speed of its rotation. Asteroids tumble through space since they don't have a fixed axis. When Apophis comes in contact with Earth's gravity, it will either start to spin more quickly or more slowly.

This will destabilise the sloping faces of surface rocks and can potentially trigger landslides, resulting in changes that will occur over tens of thousands of years.

NASA's OSIRIS-APEX mission will study Apophis during its 2029 encounter and note the changes that have occurred over a period of 18 months.

The 'god of chaos' asteroid Apophis is set to have a close encounter with Earth in 2029. Experts say that the peanut-shaped asteroid will undergo physical transformation following its journey.

The 'god of chaos' asteroid Apophis is set to have a close encounter with Earth in 2029. Experts say that the peanut-shaped asteroid will undergo physical transformation following its journey. It will experience landslides and earthquakes that will alter its landscape dramatically. The 1,100-foot-long asteroid was first discovered in 2021, and since then it has intrigued astronomers who have been constantly studying it. Apophis was initially feared to be on a collision course with Earth, but now experts say it has a much smaller chance of hitting the planet than earlier feared. It will come as close as 32,000 kilometres to Earth on April 13, 2029. While Earth itself won't be affected, the planet's gravitational pull will lead rocks on the asteroid to tumble and toss around, altering the rocky visitor. Ronald-Louis Ballouz, an asteroid scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory researched the implications of the flyby on Apophis. The study is currently available on the arXiv preprint database and has been accepted for publication in The Planetary Science Journal. He told Live Science that asteroids normally face constant bombardment by tiny meteoroids in a process called space weathering. However, asteroids that pass close to planets like Earth do not have weathered surfaces. What happens to it? Also Read: Colossal space reservoir containing water 100 trillion times of Earth's oceans discovered Experts believe that a planet's gravity pulls the rocks from the surface, revealing a smoother underlayer. Using computer models, Ballouz and other researchers created a specimen based on another two-lobed asteroid, Itokawa. They simulated the models moving towards Earth and noted all the changes that happened in the process. Tremors and landslides on Apophis The team found that Earth will shape Apophis in two ways during its 2029 encounter. Quakes will start to shake the surface of the asteroid around an hour before Apophis reaches its closest point to Earth. These tremors will continue for some more time after it has left Earth's region. "Apophis' gravity is about 250,000 times smaller than Earth's. So, we think that events of much smaller magnitude could plausibly shake things up on its surface," he said. Some rocks will get uprooted and escape the asteroids, while others will fall back creating noticeable patterns on their surface. The other change will be in the speed of its rotation. Asteroids tumble through space since they don't have a fixed axis. When Apophis comes in contact with Earth's gravity, it will either start to spin more quickly or more slowly. This will destabilise the sloping faces of surface rocks and can potentially trigger landslides, resulting in changes that will occur over tens of thousands of years. NASA's OSIRIS-APEX mission will study Apophis during its 2029 encounter and note the changes that have occurred over a period of 18 months.

What will happen to Apophis during its close call with Earth in 2029? A study answers the question

Apophis, the "god of chaos" asteroid, has a higher chance of hitting Earth than previously thought, new analyses suggest. The asteroid is moving towards our planet and will make a dangerously close approach in 2029.&nbsp;

Apophis was first discovered in 2004 and it was placed at level 4 on the Torino impact hazard scale - 0 means no chance of hitting and 10 means "a collision is certain" and might cause global climatic catastrophe.

Since NASA started monitoring potentially hazardous Near-Earth Objects (NEOs), this was the first asteroid to be assigned a rating of four on the scale. NASA describes the rating as, "A close encounter, meriting attention by astronomers."

As per current observations, the asteroid will safely pass by Earth, posing no threat in 2029, 2036 and 2068. However, the new study takes into account a slight chance that something hits Apophis while it is en route to our planet.&nbsp;

Canadian astronomer Paul Wiegert looked at the odds of a small object colliding with Apophis and setting it on a course towards Earth. Wiegert and co-author Ben Hyatt had earlier ruled out a collision but still found a small chance of a collision with other material.

The astronomers tried to study what size object could change the trajectory of Apophis and put it on a route on which it might hit Earth. They also studied other scenarios of an object hitting it which can put the asteroid&nbsp;on an Earth-bound trajectory in the future after 2029.&nbsp;

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What they found was that an impactor of around 0.6 metres (2 feet) can push the asteroid into one of the 2029 "keyhole" trajectories. This would set it up for a later collision with our planet. However, an impact in 2029 will happen only if Apophis collides with an object of around 3.4 metres (11.2 feet).

<h2>How likely is a collision?</h2>

The likelihood of an asteroid hitting Apophis is extremely low. Even if an impact does happen, the direction would also matter. Wiegert studied the number of objects over 3.4 metres in size in space and says the odds of an asteroid impacting it between now and 2029 are exceptionally low.&nbsp;

"The odds of an unseen small asteroid deflecting Apophis enough to direct it into a collision with Earth in 2029 (d ≳ 3.4 m, Δv &gt; 5 × 10−2 m s−1) are approximately 10−8," Wiegert says in the study.

"Given that only 5% of such impulses are in the correct direction to generate an Earth impact, the overall probability of a small impact directing Apophis into a collision with the Earth is less than one in 2 billion."

However, for a later impact after 2029, he puts the odds at less than one in a million. Despite being good odds, the risk of an impact still exists.&nbsp;

<h2>How do we know if Apophis has moved?</h2>

To know if this has happened, Wiegert says we need to wait another three years. "An additional element of the story is that Apophis has been largely unmonitored by telescopes since May 2021 and will remain so through 2027," he explained.&nbsp;

This is because "of the relative geometry of Apophis, Earth, and the Sun, which puts the asteroid in the daytime sky for the time span in question."

Apophis, the "god of chaos" asteroid, has a higher chance of hitting Earth than previously thought, new analyses suggest. The asteroid is moving towards our planet and will make a dangerously close approach in 2029.

Apophis, the "god of chaos" asteroid, has a higher chance of hitting Earth than previously thought, new analyses suggest. The asteroid is moving towards our planet and will make a dangerously close approach in 2029. Apophis was first discovered in 2004 and it was placed at level 4 on the Torino impact hazard scale - 0 means no chance of hitting and 10 means "a collision is certain" and might cause global climatic catastrophe. Since NASA started monitoring potentially hazardous Near-Earth Objects (NEOs), this was the first asteroid to be assigned a rating of four on the scale. NASA describes the rating as, "A close encounter, meriting attention by astronomers." As per current observations, the asteroid will safely pass by Earth, posing no threat in 2029, 2036 and 2068. However, the new study takes into account a slight chance that something hits Apophis while it is en route to our planet. Canadian astronomer Paul Wiegert looked at the odds of a small object colliding with Apophis and setting it on a course towards Earth. Wiegert and co-author Ben Hyatt had earlier ruled out a collision but still found a small chance of a collision with other material. The astronomers tried to study what size object could change the trajectory of Apophis and put it on a route on which it might hit Earth. They also studied other scenarios of an object hitting it which can put the asteroid on an Earth-bound trajectory in the future after 2029. Also Read: Asteroid 20 times bigger than dinosaur killer altered Ganymede's position What they found was that an impactor of around 0.6 metres (2 feet) can push the asteroid into one of the 2029 "keyhole" trajectories. This would set it up for a later collision with our planet. However, an impact in 2029 will happen only if Apophis collides with an object of around 3.4 metres (11.2 feet). How likely is a collision? The likelihood of an asteroid hitting Apophis is extremely low. Even if an impact does happen, the direction would also matter. Wiegert studied the number of objects over 3.4 metres in size in space and says the odds of an asteroid impacting it between now and 2029 are exceptionally low. "The odds of an unseen small asteroid deflecting Apophis enough to direct it into a collision with Earth in 2029 (d ≳ 3.4 m, Δv > 5 × 10−2 m s−1) are approximately 10−8," Wiegert says in the study. "Given that only 5% of such impulses are in the correct direction to generate an Earth impact, the overall probability of a small impact directing Apophis into a collision with the Earth is less than one in 2 billion." However, for a later impact after 2029, he puts the odds at less than one in a million. Despite being good odds, the risk of an impact still exists. How do we know if Apophis has moved? To know if this has happened, Wiegert says we need to wait another three years. "An additional element of the story is that Apophis has been largely unmonitored by telescopes since May 2021 and will remain so through 2027," he explained. This is because "of the relative geometry of Apophis, Earth, and the Sun, which puts the asteroid in the daytime sky for the time span in question."

'God of chaos' asteroid can hit Earth, but only if THIS happens. 'The odds of...'

In about five years, on April 13, 2029, the near-Earth asteroid Apophis, popularly named 'God of Destruction', will make a historically close approach to Earth, passing just 30,000 miles (around 48,280 kilometres) away.&nbsp;

Named after the Egyptian god of chaos, the asteroid, which is approximately 1,000 feet (around 305 metres) wide, will be so close that it will be visible to the naked eye. This 'close call' will provide a unique scientific opportunity that NASA researchers are eager to seize.

<h2>NASA to take advantage of the dangerous asteroid</h2>

On the day Apophis comes close to our planet, NASA's OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft will be in a position to study the 'God of Destruction'.

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Not only this, but there might also be a host of little satellites from the "NEAlight" project. A team at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg initiated this project under the guidance of space engineer Hakan Kayal.

These three satellites aim to gather vital data which could enhance our understanding of the solar system and aid in developing strategies for planetary defence.

<h2>'God of Destruction' Apophis</h2>

Apophis has been a significant subject of study since its discovery in 2004 due to its size and the potential proximity of its orbit to Earth.&nbsp;

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It featured prominently on risk lists — European Space Agency's (ESA's) and NASA's Sentry Risk Table for 17 years — for potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs) until 2021, when observations confirmed that it poses no threat of collision with Earth for at least the next hundred years.

Despite the absence of an immediate threat, the 2029 encounter with Apophis presents a valuable chance to analyse a primordial object that has witnessed the solar system's history since its formation about 4.6 billion years ago.

(With inputs from agencies)

In about five years, on April 13, 2029, the near-Earth asteroid Apophis, popularly named 'God of Destruction', will make a historically close approach to Earth, passing just 30,000 miles (around 48,280 kilometres) away.

In about five years, on April 13, 2029, the near-Earth asteroid Apophis, popularly named 'God of Destruction', will make a historically close approach to Earth, passing just 30,000 miles (around 48,280 kilometres) away. Named after the Egyptian god of chaos, the asteroid, which is approximately 1,000 feet (around 305 metres) wide, will be so close that it will be visible to the naked eye. This 'close call' will provide a unique scientific opportunity that NASA researchers are eager to seize. NASA to take advantage of the dangerous asteroid On the day Apophis comes close to our planet, NASA's OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft will be in a position to study the 'God of Destruction'. Also read | Elon Musk cites simple proof to assert his belief that aliens don't exist Not only this, but there might also be a host of little satellites from the "NEAlight" project. A team at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg initiated this project under the guidance of space engineer Hakan Kayal. These three satellites aim to gather vital data which could enhance our understanding of the solar system and aid in developing strategies for planetary defence. 'God of Destruction' Apophis Apophis has been a significant subject of study since its discovery in 2004 due to its size and the potential proximity of its orbit to Earth. Also read | Heartbreaking! Over 321,000 children lost a parent to America's drug epidemic between 2011-2021 It featured prominently on risk lists — European Space Agency's (ESA's) and NASA's Sentry Risk Table for 17 years — for potentially hazardous asteroids (PHAs) until 2021, when observations confirmed that it poses no threat of collision with Earth for at least the next hundred years. Despite the absence of an immediate threat, the 2029 encounter with Apophis presents a valuable chance to analyse a primordial object that has witnessed the solar system's history since its formation about 4.6 billion years ago. (With inputs from agencies)

NASA will do THIS when 'God of Destruction' asteroid Apophis comes near Earth in 2029

A potentially hazardous asteroid will swing by Earth at an eerily close distance of less than 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometres) in about five years. On 13 April 2029, Apophis will pass by Earth, coming ten times closer than the Moon.

A potentially hazardous asteroid will swing by Earth at an eerily close distance of less than 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometres) in about five years. On 13 April 2029, Apophis will pass by Earth, coming ten times closer than the Moon. Scientists first discovered it in 2004 and have designated the 1,100-foot-wide (335 metres) near-Earth object that could impact our planet as a "hazardous asteroid." However, later observations revealed that it has no chance of crashing into Earth for at least another century. Moreover, scientists wish to take full advantage of the upcoming event and explore the asteroid. They hope to document the potential changes by comparing observations of the asteroid before and after its encounter with Earth. Some researchers believe the physical changes to the asteroids could alter its orbital path. Private space companies have proposed missions to rendezvous with Apohpus ahead of its highly-awaited flyby, SpaceNews reported. One of these companies, Blue Origins, has proposed using the Blue Ring orbital platform to deliver payloads to the asteroid. Blue Ring will make its debut by the end of 2024. It provides end-to-end services for commercial and government customers and can host payloads of up to 6,600 pounds (3,000 kilograms). ALSO READ | Ultimate cure to cancer? World’s first personalised mRNA cancer vaccine for melanoma undergoing trials Meanwhile, Exabs proposed an idea that NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) had studied previously. They said the DROID (Distributed Radar Observations of Interior Distributions) would deploy two CubeSats to perform a "CAT" scan of Apophis' interior. The mission would launch in May 2028 and arrive at Apophis in February 2029. In February, NASA held a workshop to seek ideas from the private sector on "innovative approaches to conduct missions during the Earth flyby of the asteroid Apophis in 2029." NASA's OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft is already on its way to study the asteroid after dropping off samples from the Bennu asteroid in the Utah desert. The space agency also has a spare spacecraft, Psyche, designed to visit asteroids 1996 FG3 and 1991 VH. NASA also assigned it to the Janus mission. But that did not work out. However, this is just the beginning. Many space agencies and other private companies can announce space missions around the rare event in the upcoming years. (With inputs from agencies)

"Hazardous asteroid" Apophis to make close flyby of Earth in five years; How are scientists prepping for it?

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