A massive asteroid, ominously named the ‘God of Chaos’, is set to pass by Earth in 2029, coming closer to us than some satellites.
Scientists have taken another look at their predictions to assess whether it could pose a real threat.
The asteroid, officially known as 99942 Apophis, is shaped like a peanut and measures a gigantic 340 meters across.
On April 13, 2029, Apophis is expected to fly by Earth at an incredibly close distance of around 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometers) from our planet’s surface.
This is closer than many of the satellites orbiting Earth. However, there’s been some debate among scientists regarding the chances of the asteroid actually hitting us.
Currently, Apophis’ path isn’t set to collide with Earth, but a study published last month in The Planetary Science Journal pointed out that even a tiny object could change that.
Canadian astronomer Paul Wiegert and his co-author, Benjamin Hyatt, dug into the possibility of Apophis getting knocked off its current course by colliding with something else in space.
They found that even a small object, as little as two feet in size, could alter its trajectory enough to send it crashing into Earth at some point in the future.
The researchers noted that for Apophis to hit Earth in 2029, the object it collides with would need to be about 3.4 meters in size.
Luckily for us, the scientists reassured that the chances of this happening are ‘exceptionally low’.
An asteroid named the ‘God of Chaos’ is set to get closer to Earth than some satellites in 2029Getty Stock Images
Wiegert explained, “The odds of an unseen small asteroid deflecting Apophis enough to direct it into a collision with Earth in 2029 are approximately 10^-8.”
He also noted, “Given that only 5 percent 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 two billion.”
Despite these slim chances, NASA has also weighed in on the situation after conducting investigations into the asteroid last year. In a statement, they acknowledged the unique nature of Apophis’ close encounter with Earth.
“The intrigue of Apophis is its exceptionally close approach of our planet on April 13, 2029,” they said.
“Although Apophis will not hit Earth during this encounter or in the foreseeable future, the pass in 2029 will bring the asteroid within 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometers) of the surface—closer than some satellites, and close enough that it could be visible to the naked eye in the Eastern Hemisphere.”
NASA further explained just how rare such an event is, estimating that “asteroids of Apophis’ size, about 367 yards across (about 340 meters), come this close to Earth only once every 7,500 years.”
While Apophis is expected to give us a close-up view of an asteroid without any actual danger, it’s the unpredictability of space that keeps these discussions alive. But for now, we can rest easy knowing that the odds are very much in our favor.
