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Amid reports of a large asteroid called Apophis likely to come “very close to Earth”, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has said it is keeping an eye on it. The asteroid is named after the Egyptian god of chaos, Apophis.
It is noteworthy that NASA has ruled out any risk of impact from this asteroid. It said that even at its closest approach to Earth, it is still about 17 million kilometers away, which is 44 times the distance from Earth to the Moon.
talking to NDTVISRO chief Dr S Somanath said a major asteroid strike is a real existential threat to humanity. He said the Indian space agency is monitoring Apophis very closely.
Dr Somnath said, “ISRO is fully aware of this threat and our Network for Space Object Tracking and Analysis (NETRA) is monitoring Apophis very closely. After all, we have only one Earth to live on.” NDTV,
NASA said the asteroid Apophis will now make its closest pass to Earth on April 13, 2029, at a distance of less than 32,000 kilometres from our planet’s surface – closer than the distance of geosynchronous satellites.
However, he also said that this proximity does not pose an immediate threat to our planet, but is rather an unprecedented opportunity for astronomers to get a close look at the remnants of the solar system.
He also said that India will cooperate with all countries to deal with Apophis and any other such threats in the future.
What do we know about the asteroid Apophis?
First discovered in 2004, Apophis was identified as one of the most dangerous asteroids that could impact Earth. However, NASA changed its impact assessment when astronomers tracked this near-Earth object (NEO), estimated to be about 1,100 feet (335 meters) across, and its orbit became better determined.
In March 2021, a radar observation campaign combined with detailed orbit analysis enabled astronomers to determine that asteroid Apophis poses no threat of colliding with Earth for at least the next hundred years.
The asteroid Apophis became infamous as a potential threat to Earth due to its predicted near-Earth approach in 2029. Subsequent observations reduced the risk of impact in 2029 and also for a subsequent approach in 2036. However, as of March 2021, a slight chance of impact in 2068 remained.
During Apophis’s very distant pass of Earth on March 5, 2021, astronomers used powerful radar observations to estimate the asteroid’s orbit around the Sun. This helped them confidently rule out any impact risk in 2068 and beyond.
Davide Farnocchia of NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) said an impact in 2068 is no longer possible. “Our calculations do not show any impact risk for at least the next 100 years.”
With the support of optical observations and additional radar observations, the uncertainty in Apophis’ orbit by 2029 has decreased from hundreds of kilometers to just a few kilometers, Farnocchia said.
He said that when he started working on asteroids after college, Apophis was the poster child for dangerous asteroids. However, he feels satisfied to see it removed from the risk list. “We look forward to the science that will happen during its close approach in 2029.”
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