The European Space Agency (ESA) and the United Nations declared 2029 as “International Asteroid Awareness and Planet Defense Year”. The main reason for this is that the giant asteroid 99942 Apophis will pass only 32,000 kilometers of the world on April 13, 2029. This distance is closer to many telecommunications satellites than the orbit. This transition, where scientists see the opportunity, will present a unique moment to observe the orbital and superficial changes of Apophis. So, is there any possibility of hitting the Earth? Details in our news…
Apophis asteroid will pass very close to Earth in 2029! So is it dangerous?
Apophis, 375 meters in diameter, was thought to be likely to hit the Earth when it was discovered in 2004. However, as a result of the detailed calculations, it became certain that it would not hit the Earth in the transition of 2029. However, the fact that such a great asteroid is so close to our planet has created great excitement in the scientific world.
Richard Moissl, President of ESA’s Planet Defense Office, says Apophis may undergo surface changes due to the world’s gravity. That is, small collapses on the surface, rock shifts and release of new materials. Scientists want to better understand the structure of asteroids by observing this process in detail.
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ESA is preparing to start a space mission called Ramses (Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety) to better examine the historical transition. This spacecraft, which is planned to be launched in 2028, will reach Apophis in February 2029 and closely observe asteroids. Among the main objectives of the task are:
- Analyzing the surface structure and composition of Apophis,
- To examine the effects of the world on asteroid,
- To develop new methods to follow similar sized asteroids in the future.
ESA and NASA make great progress in protecting our planet against possible asteroid impacts. ESA’s Neocc (Coordination of Objects Near to Earth) is currently following more than 37,000 asteroids. In addition, thanks to the new generation telescope systems, the sky is scanned every night and potential threats are determined.
Within this scope, public information programs, observation activities and training activities will be organized for 2029. Space agencies will increase the cooperation with scientists by providing awareness of the public about planet defense. So what do you think about this? You can write your opinions in the comments section below…
