The asteroid Apophis will arrive to extremely close earth in an event scheduled for April 13, 2029, at 19,000 miles (30,600 kilometers) away which will be even closer than some satellites. This flyby presents an exciting opportunity for researchers to study the effects of the Earth’s tidal forces on Apophis with a small hazard of collision.
The future close approaches: The 2029 flyby of Apophis may not be the final tour
The approach of Apophis in 2029 will not be the only one, as future potentials exist in 2036 and 2068. Between the years 2021 and 2027, researchers have assumed that small asteroids impacting on Apophis could change its position due to the orbiter’s surface.
Inverse reasoning tells that Apophis will not be targeted in any event to alter its current orbit unless prompted by a violent external force, an impact of course. Nevertheless, after that specific time, there is still hope that the said rock can be altered to become an impact hazard after the 29-close approach.
For example, impact with a stone that measures 61 cm in diameter would affect the trajectory of Apophis, but an even smaller size in the range of three meters would hit it in a specific precise direction to alter the orbit sufficiently to cause concern for 2029. Albeit assigned a probability of one in two billion, an event involving an Apophis-like object could cause destruction on the order of hundreds of miles provided it hit a densely populated area.
Gravity on earth with the Apophis asteroid can cause landslides during their close encounter in 2029
The upcoming encounter the asteroid Apophis will make with Earth’s surface will most probably be associated with some shifts and even some landslides. As Apophis gets closer, authorities predict that tremors will occur due to the gravitational pull of earth, which may be enough to dislodge some rocks situated on its surface.
Earth might also be able to draw Apophis’s surface ‘skin’ through the action of its gravity, theorizes Ronald-Louis Ballouz of Johns Hopkins University, which could lead to these areas exposed to inefficient friction of the surface by the overlying materials.
This could cause approximated one-hour early onset of tremors prior to the closest approach of Apophis when the surface layers of the object are slightly perturbed. While the gravity of Apophis is much less than that of the earth, these quakes can be described as seismic shaking and shifting. This causes movement of massive boulders and rocks changing the surface features significantly enough to be projected and viewed by any space-faring vehicle that may seek the asteroid soon.
The unpredictable rotational motion of Apophis is similar to that of Cirroform clouds and not ordinary asteroids
Famous for its spin-rotation that’s errant and tumbling through space, Apophis has more in common with Cirrus clouds than asteroids. This spin is erratic such that the forces of gravitation can either speed it up or stress it down thereby causing alterations in its shape over a longer time.
In contrast to the rapid shocks, this form of alteration in rotation will endeavor continuously to decontaminate Apophis for a period of thousands of years. As a result of the change in the spheroid spin rate, the researchers seek there will be reduction of stability of rocks resulting higher frequency for landslide occurrences in areas with steep slopes.
The chance for a closer encounter with the asteroid is simply understood as awaiting a unique period for research as NASA embarks on the deployment of the OSIRIS-APEX mission to Apophis for a period of observation that will last for more than a year.
The OSIRIS-APEX mission, which has been modified from the original OSIRIS-REx mission focused on the asteroid Bennett, will observe the asteroid Apophis, including its surface structure and chemical composition, and will study the effects of the Earth’s gravity on the rotation of this asteroid.
While there is minimal concern that Apophis will hit the Earth in 2029, its close approach provides an excellent opportunity to learn about asteroids and improve planetary defense mechanisms. With the OSIRIS-APEX mission, we will broaden our knowledge about this object, and this will become significant in the history of humanity’s capability of repelling threats from outer space.
