Apophis: Giant asteroid coming closer to Earth in 5 years! NASA indicated

Various natural phenomena related to space have always been the cause of human curiosity, knowledge development and beauty-thirst fulfillment. But once in a while this space becomes a danger to the world. 

As astronomers at Halfhill predict that, about 5 years from now, an asteroid as big (read tall) as the Empire State Building will pass within 20,000 miles of Earth. In that case, if somehow the earth collides with this asteroid or asteroid, then it is normal to fear that there may be damage. But NASA, the American space research agency, has shared some details about this and their spacecraft launched in 2016 is expected to be in a position to provide detailed information on the possible 'closeness' time. Scientists at the University of Arizona have even begun work on a mission to study asteroid formation, gather other information and develop a defense system against possible collisions.

The asteroid was discovered two decades ago

For information, the asteroid in question is named Apophis, which was discovered in 2004, which means almost 20 years ago. At the time, NASA identified it as one of the most dangerous for Earth and predicted it would come close to colliding with Earth in 2029. The years 2036 and 2068 have been cited as possible future collisions between asteroid Apophis and Earth. Although those fears were dismissed once. But it seems, now again there is some risk in this regard.

ApophisAsteroid: Learn the details of the giant asteroid

The giant asteroid is named Apophis after a deadly monster in ancient Egyptian mythology. Like other asteroids, Apophis is a relic of the early solar system, and its mineralogy has remained unchanged for more than 4.5 billion years. It measures about 1,110 feet (340 meters) and is an oblong (somewhat peanut-shaped) rocky asteroid that space scientists speculate is composed mostly of iron, nickel, and silicate elements. According to NASA, the asteroid will pass within 19,800 miles of Earth's surface on April 13, 2029. It will be visible to the naked eye for a few hours from some parts of the world, said Michael Nolan, deputy principal investigator of the University of Arizona-led mission.

How much damage can be done to the world?

Once every 7,500 years, an asteroid comes very close to Earth. While not a serious enough threat to life on Earth, an Apophis-sized asteroid impacting at hypersonic speed could destroy a large city or region, Nolan said. But it also turns out that Earth's gravitational tidal pull would likely cause measurable perturbations to the asteroid's surface and motion, changing its orbital path and rotation. Even Earth's tidal forces can cause landslides at Apophis and dislodge rocks and dust that form comet-like tails.