Why are NASA scientists talking about Asteroid Apophis? 

Over the course of the earth’s existence, numerous asteroids have either passed by it or actually crashed into it. In fact, according to scientists and astronomers, the creation of the moon was a consequence of debris flying into space due to such a collision. Palaeontologists say that the extinction of dinosaurs was also a result of an asteroid crashing into earth. According to them, these celestial occurrences are not particularly an unprecedented phenomenon. However, there is one asteroid that is raising concern among the scientists at NASA. Known as the Asteroid Apophis, it is predicted to pass by the earth at an extremely close proximity in 2029. Read on to learn more about it. 

What makes the Asteroid Apophis unique? 
Asteroid Apophis was initially discovered by NASA scientists way back in 2004. It was described as one of the most hazardous asteroids to exist. It is named after the Greek God Apophis, which means ‘rock of chaos.’ The name aptly fits, as it is predicted to fly terribly close to the earth towards the end of this decade. Scientists believe that this distance will be around 39,000 km from the earth. To put it into context, satellites which broadcast TV channels onto our television sets are located at the same distance from the planet! Moreover, it is said that this giant asteroid is 30 times more powerful than even the largest nuclear bomb made in history, the Soviet Tsar Bomb, which was tested in 1961. Initially, some scientists thought that its collision with the earth would take place in 2068, but this was refuted by NASA. 

Will Asteroid Apophis cause any serious damage to earth? 
Even with its enormous size, NASA maintains that the Asteroid Apophis does not pose any threat to our planet. In fact, it was struck off NASA’s risk list for earth in March 2021 itself. There will be no particular collision as such, and it will just pass by safely. However, there is no denying of the fact that it will go down in history as a significant celestial moment. This is because it will be the first time that a space rock of such a massive magnitude will approach earth so closely.