Posted on 11/25/2024 6:44:21 AM PST by Red Badger
On April 13th, 2029 an absolutely gigantic asteroid known as “Apophis” will come very close to our planet. In fact, we are being told that Apophis will actually be ten times closer than the Moon as it zips past the Earth. The good news is that scientists are assuring us that there is zero chance that this enormous space rock will hit us. The bad news is that we cannot see Apophis right now, and if there is even the slightest change in the projected trajectory it could end up slamming into our planet. Needless to say, if Apophis actually hits us it would be an absolutely cataclysmic disaster.
VIDEO AT LINK.....................
For years, I did not think much about Apophis because I simply trusted what the “experts” were telling us.
For example, NASA is unequivocally stating that “there is no risk of Apophis impacting our planet for at least a century”…
Asteroid 99942 Apophis is a near-Earth object (NEO) estimated to be about 1,100 feet (335 meters) across.
When it was discovered in 2004, Apophis was identified as one of the most hazardous asteroids that could impact Earth. But that impact assessment changed after astronomers tracked Apophis, and its orbit became better determined.
A radar observation campaign in March 2021, combined with precise orbit analysis, allowed astronomers to conclude that there is no risk of Apophis impacting our planet for at least a century.
That seems quite clear. NASA is promising us that we do not have to worry about this giant space rock at all.
A planetary scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology is telling us the exact same thing…
“Apophis is in the category of Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) — asteroids with orbits that bring them very close to Earth now and for centuries in the future,” said Richard Binzel, a planetary scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “What makes Apophis the poster child for potentially hazardous asteroids is that it will make the closest known approach to Earth of any large asteroid this decade.
“But the three most important things about Apophis are: Apophis will miss the Earth. Apophis will miss the Earth. Apophis will miss the Earth,” he told Space.com via email.
If our top experts are this confident, why are some people out there still concerned about Apophis?
Well, it turns out that there are several reasons.
First of all, this giant space rock is going to come extremely close to our planet.
In fact, we are being told that it will be “less than one-tenth the distance to the Moon” as it flies by us…
It will be a very close pass. Apophis will come within about 32,000 kilometers (20,000 miles) of Earth — less than one-tenth the distance to the Moon. The asteroid will fly below the altitude of some satellites, but should arrive on a trajectory that makes any collision highly unlikely.
In astronomical terms, that is a really, really close shave. In all of human history, we have never had a giant space rock come so close to us.
Secondly, we cannot actually see Apophis right now.
We have not been able to see Apophis since the middle of 2021 and we will not be able to see it again until 2027…
There is another problem. “Apophis is in the daytime sky and unobservable from mid-2021 to 2027,” Paul Wiegert, meaning any change in its trajectory will go unseen until just two years before April 12, 2029. However, he adds that a single observation during 2027 would be necessary to determine whether the asteroid threatened “an impending Earth impact.”
If there is the slightest change in the trajectory of Apophis, it could hit us.
And we will not know if the trajectory of Apophis has changed until we are able to view it in 2027.
For the moment, our scientists are assuming that the trajectory of Apophis has not been altered at all, and that is what they are basing their optimistic forecasts on.
Thirdly, everyone agrees that Earth’s gravitational pull will have an impact on Apophis.
One way that our planet’s gravity will affect Apophis is by causing small tremors…
The researchers discovered that two physical processes — triggered by Earth’s gravitational tugs — will likely sculpt Apophis’ surface during its 2029 encounter. One is tremors that will probably begin an hour before Apophis reaches its closest point to Earth and continue for a short while after.
The tremors’ strength is difficult to estimate, Ballouz said. However, “Apophis’ gravity is about 250,000 times smaller than Earth’s,” he added. “So, we think that events of much smaller magnitude could plausibly shake things up on its surface.”
Could those tremors alter the trajectory of Apophis enough for it to hit our planet?
I don’t know.
We are also being told that the gravity of our planet could change how Apophis is “tumbling” through the sky…
The other process that could “refresh” Apophis’ surface is a change in its tumbling. Tumbling occurs because the asteroid doesn’t rotate on a fixed axis or time period; instead, it tumbles through space like a badly thrown football.
An unrelated 2023 study showed that Earth’s gravity would cause the asteroid to rotate either more quickly or more slowly depending on its orientation during the 2029 approach. The new simulations confirmed this finding. They also revealed that the changes in Apophis’ tumbling will cause the sloping faces of surface rocks to destabilize, potentially triggering landslides in extreme cases.
I always assumed that Apophis was sailing peacefully through the heavens in a very calm manner. But it isn’t.
It is actually tumbling along quite violently, and if the spin rate of the asteroid changes just slightly that could change everything.
I think they should nudge Apophie to hit the Moon so we can study the impact, maybe mine the debris and worry no more about it.
As for the size and mass of Apophis, there's no real ambiguity about it. The object is estimated to be about 885 feet across (a hair smaller than the Eiffel Tower) and has a mass of 2.1 x 10 to the tenth power kg, according to Universe Today. If those figures are meaningless to you, here's a real-world example of what it all means: The asteroid that created Arizona's Meteor Crater (seen above) is believed to have exploded with the force between three and 10 megatons of energy. Should Apophis strike, it would likely deliver the equivalent of 880 megatons of energy. By comparison, the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima only released about 0.15 megatons of energy, according to Britannica.
According to Universe Today, wherever the asteroid hits (assuming it hits land), it's going to flatten thousands of square miles of land. If it hits a major city, like London, it's going to level the area, killing millions of people in the process.
If you think all of that sounds a bit hyperbolic, consider what happened to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. In both cases, a nuclear bomb delivering a fraction of the energy Apophis would likely release exploded over the cities, and about 200,000 people died as a result (according to Newsweek). Apophis would deliver significantly more magnitude of energy than either of the Hiroshima or Nagasaki weapons.
Fortunately, the odds of it hitting a populated area are small. In fact, the odds of it hitting land are small, considering that oceans cover about 75% of the Earth's surface. So statistically speaking, it's most likely that Apophis would land in the ocean.
Read More: https://www.grunge.com/611337/heres-what-would-happen-if-apophis-hit-earth/
The ‘Three-Body Problem’ is not solvable with current computer technology, but they are close.................
Lucifer's Hammer
Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelli.
Read it!! BEST (fictional) example of what would happen if it DID hit. And it isn't a pretty thing either.
I read it in 1978!.....................
I still want a movie made from it!...............
1100 feet across... estimating based on rough sphericity and assuming equivalent composition, that's a tad under 1% of the mass of a 1-mile wide impactor.
A one-miler would release more energy on impact than this world's combined nuclear arsenals set off simultaneously.
By contrast, Apophis, depending on where it struck of course, would probably end civilization, and over a period of a few weeks over 99% of the human population would die.
Other than that, I don't see what the big deal is. Thanks Red Badger.
As a former red leg (artillery), I guarantee you my unit did more damage 43.2 kilos at a time that all the bombs dropped by the USA air force.
Same principle applies.
I feel quite confident that they would never tell us the truth if they knew otherwise.
Good book, and I have owned it for decades.
Yes, yes. We are all going to die. But probably not from asteroid.
My money is on solar flare.
There will still be a large population present when Jesus Christ comes to the battle of Armageddon. He won’t be ruling for 1,000 years over an empty planet.
But it will be in pretty bad shape when he comes.
In 2029 I’ll be 72. If it hits earth I might die or I might survive. Either way I don’t have any control over this. I could die today or make it to 100. A lot of factors are beyond my control but I am trying to stay as healthy as possible for whatever is coming down the road. I’m thankful for the 67 years the Lord has granted me so far and of course the rest of my life is in his hands as well along with Apophis which is part of his creation.
= 15 kilotons.
Regards,
That's right: Make this all about you!
Regards,
Apophis is a small asteroid. Not even a medium which would be over 1 mile in dia. Huge would be an asteroid several miles in dia.
Makes one wonder about the real reasons for those ancient underground cities.
We do not like living underground unless we have to. Which is why the underground houses never took off. Along with mold. That is another reason.
And solar flares would explain the end of the ice age. That was a LOT of ice that melted over a relatively short time. The BTUs necessary would have been enormous.
But I am just someone who spends too much time reading. Not even close to an expert.
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