Asteroid Apophis to give Earth a close shave in 2029 flyby
Although we can still see comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS in our sky, astronomers are already preparing for another extraordinary cosmic spectacle. On April 13, 2029, the asteroid Apophis will pass very close to Earth and will be visible to the naked eye.
5:21 PM EDT, October 19, 2024
The asteroid Apophis, named after the demon of darkness and chaos from Egyptian mythology, has sparked considerable interest from its discovery. As "Gazeta Wyborcza" reminds us, the object was discovered in 2004, and initial calculations indicated it was on a collision course with Earth. It was then given a 4 on the 11-point Torino scale, which was the highest level ever given at that time.
It quickly became apparent, however, that the actual flight trajectory rules out a collision with our planet, though the object, measuring 1,070 feet in length, still arouses a lot of interest. According to "Wyborcza," Apophis will pass our planet at a distance of only 20,000 miles. Scientists at the European Space Agency (ESA) point out that during this flyby, the object will "feel significant tidal forces exerted by Earth’s gravity."
Scientists aim to take advantage of such a close flyby to gather as much information as possible, which could prove valuable in the future if any object is on a collision course with our planet. The information gathered could become our last resort.
ESA has allocated $67 million to the company OHB Italia, whose task will be to prepare the mission objectives for the Ramses space mission. "Gazeta Wyborcza" emphasizes that the space probe heading towards Apophis must be launched in 2028 to reach the asteroid in time and accompany it during its flyby.
Ramses in preparation, Hera in action
In early October of this year, a Falcon 9 rocket launched a remarkable probe into space. This is part of the Hera mission organized by ESA. The probe's task is to examine the effects of the first planetary defense test for Earth.
This test began in September 2022, when the DART probe impacted the asteroid Dimorphos, a 525-foot satellite of the asteroid Didymos. NASA scientists aimed to see how such an impact could change the course of a cosmic object. Though scientists do not yet have precise data, DART successfully altered the object's trajectory. This situation is expected to change with the Hera probe and the cubic nanosatellites Milani and Juventas sent with it.
