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There is almost zero chance that the infamous city - killer asteroid " Apophis " will hit Earth when it zips closely past our planet in 2029 — even when a previously unconsidered factor is take into account , a Modern field shows .
Apophisis a peanut - shaped outer space rock spanning around 1,100 foot ( 340 meters ) across that was left behind by the formation of thesolar systemaround 4.6 billion twelvemonth ago . The chunky space rock is not hefty enough to be look at a"planet orca " asteroidbut islarge enough to wipe out a heavy metropolis . It is named after Apep , the Egyptian serpent god of duskiness and disorder , which has pull in the place rock the sobriquet " God of Chaos . "
Apophis is due to zoom past Earth in 2029 at a distance 10 times closer to Earth than the moon.
The"potentially hazardous " asteroidfirst made headlines around 20 years ago , when it was revealed the space rock would have an highly near fly - by with Earth in 2029 and could potentially hit our planet . However , follow - up observations revealed that Apophis , whichlast made a snug approach to Earth in 2021 , will sail safely past our major planet at a distance of around 23,200 miles ( 37,400 kilometers ) — less than one - tenth the space between Earth and the moonshine . The asteroid ’s current flight also suggest it ishighly unlikely to pose a threat to Earth in the next few centuries .
However , a raw written report has factored in previously unconsidered variables — namely , the asteroid being nudged off its current course of instruction by a hit with another distance rock and roll and then hurtling towards Earth . It was uploaded March 1 to the preprint databasearXivand has been accepted for succeeding publishing in the Planetary Science Journal .
" We figure the path of all known asteroids using a detailed computer simulation of our solar system and the theory of such an unlikely issue was assess , " lead story discipline authorPaul Wiegart , an stargazer at Western University in London , Canada , said in astatement . " as luck would have it , no such collision are anticipated . "
Apophis will come very close to Earth in 2029, narrowly missing satellites in orbit around our planet.
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The raw sketch arose from " a possible risk that a deflection from its current trajectory [ cause by a collision with another asteroid ] may move Apophis nigher to impacting us , " study co - source Benjamin Hyatt , an astronomer at Waterloo University in Canada , enounce in the command .
Scientists saw something like in 2022 , whenNASA ’s DART spacecraftsmashed into the asteroidDimorphos , successfullyaltering the space rock and roll ’s trajectory through the solar systemandcompletely neuter its shape .
" Hypothetically , another asteroid collide with Apophis could cause such a deflection , actuate us to study this scenario however unbelievable it may be , " Hyatt said .
But the novel simulations demo this would not be the case . The penny-pinching Apophis will get to another asteroid before 2029 is in 2026 , when it will pass by the 4,265 - feet ( 1,300 m ) wide asteroid Xanthus at a minimum distance of around 6,200 miles ( 10,000 kilometre ) , the researchers write .
Even though Apophis poses no threat to Earth , scientists will still take a faithful feeling at the hefty space stone in the future tense . The space vehicle formerly lie with asOSIRIS - REx , which collected arecord - soften sample from the asteroid Bennuandsuccessfully delivered it to Earth last year , has now been redesignated as OSIRIS - APEX and beensent on a new deputation to aviate alongside Apophis in 2029after it realise its closest approach path to Earth .
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scientist hope that the probe will be able to shed light on how the acute gravitational military group of the asteroid ’s close brushing with Earth willchange its figure and structure , which could interpolate its chances of hitting us in the future .
" [ Apophis ] was the first credible menace from an asteroid to our major planet , ” Wiegert tell . " Even now that we know it ’s on course of action to leave out us by a safe margin , astronomers remain wakeful . It ’s the asteroid we just ca n’t stop watching . "
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