In 2029, you will witness huge asteroid without any telescope
Asteroid flybys are fairly common, but in 2029, a space rock will come so close to our planet that you will be able to witness it without any telescope or specialized gear. It will streak past our planet in a close shave, giving scientists and astronomers a one-of-a-kind opportunity to take a good look at a near-Earth-object. Here are the details of the flyby.
Apophis will fly within 31,000 kms of Earth
Exactly a decade from now, on April 13, 2029 (which is a Friday!), a humongous asteroid named Apophis will come within 31,000 kilometers of our planet's surface. It will stretch 1,100-feet across, which is nearly as big as three warehouses stacked together. Now, that sounds scary, but scientists say that the NEO will only skim past Earth and there's no possibility of a collision.
You'll be able to see it without any telescope
A humongous asteroid passing closely can raise some alarms, but scientists said it would be a rare opportunity to stalk a space object with naked eyes for some 2 billion people on Earth, Space.com reported. The Moon sits somewhere between 362,000 and 405,000 kilometers. So you can imagine how close a flyby at just 31,000 kilometers from the surface will really be.
This will also present an opportunity for scientists
While Apophis' flyby will mark a skywatching opportunity for civilians, it will also present scientists a rare opportunity to study a near-Earth object closely. The course of this asteroid was revealed on April 30 at the International Academy of Aeronautics' Planetary Defense Conference, giving astronomers across the world a chance to draw up their plans for what they want to study during the flyby.
'Once per thousand years'
"The excitement is that an object this large comes this close about once per thousand years, so it's all about, What's the opportunity," Richard Binzel, a planetary scientist at MIT, said at the conference while emphasizing on the rarity of this flyby.
Apophis is similar to 80% of potentially hazardous asteroids
Scientists said Apophis is similar to nearly 80% of the potentially hazardous asteroids that fly by Earth. This means that preparing and studying this object closely can give scientists more insight into the structural integrity and composition of other large space rocks. Finally, this could boost our planetary defense techniques which may be required in case an asteroid comes on a collision course.
Possibility of future collisions remains
Apophis' 2029 pass will pose no threat to Earthlings but there's no saying if the same will hold true for its future flybys. Earth's gravity can change the trajectory of the asteroid, which makes it difficult for scientists to predict the chances of future collisions.
