The Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) is currently monitoring a very large asteroid. Its name is Apophis and this asteroid is named after the Egyptian god of chaos. Asteroid Purpat is rapidly moving towards Earth. It is being told that this asteroid is going to pass very close to the Earth on April 13, 2029. There is concern all over the world about this incident.
ISRO has prepared to deal with such celestial events under its newly launched domain Planetary Defence. The main objective of this domain is to protect the Earth from extraterrestrial objects. ISRO Chairman Dr. S Somanath, while talking to NDTV, said, “A collision with a large asteroid is a real existential threat to humanity. ISRO is taking this threat seriously and the office is closely monitoring it through our Network for Space Object Tracking and Analysis (NETRA). After all, we have only one Earth to live on. India will cooperate with all countries to counter such threats.”
The discovery was made in 2004
According to the report, Apophis was first discovered in 2004 and since then its approach cycle has been closely studied. The next close encounter will take place in 2029, followed by another in 2036. However, there are concerns about its stability with Earth. But some studies say that in 2029 it will only pass close to Earth, not collide with it.
The closest the Apophis asteroid will come to Earth can be compared to the fact that India's geostationary satellite orbits at a higher altitude than the likely distance of Apophis from Earth. This means that Apophis will be so close to Earth that it will be less far than even satellites that normally orbit at an altitude of 36,000 kilometers from Earth. This gives an idea of how extraordinary and close this event will be.
never came this far
No asteroid of this size has come so close to Earth before this asteroid, located at an altitude of about 32000 km. There is debate over the speed and distance of asteroid Apophis from Earth and its size is also a matter of concern. Apophis is larger than India's largest aircraft carrier INS Vikramaditya and the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. The estimated diameter of its meteorite is between 340 and 450 meters. Any celestial body larger than 140 meters in diameter that passes near the Earth is considered potentially dangerous.
could wreak havoc?
According to ISRO experts, any meteorite larger than 300 meters can hit the Earth and cause devastation on the continental shelf. An even more horrific situation can arise when an asteroid larger than 10 kilometers in diameter hits the Earth, resulting in mass extinction. Dr. AK Anilkumar, Chairman of ISRO's Network for Space Object Tracking and Analysis (NETRA), said that if a large asteroid like Apophis hits the Earth, it can have catastrophic consequences on a global scale. This can lead to genocide locally. And the dust released from the collision can spread into the atmosphere and cause global problems.
Asteroid landed in India
An example of asteroid impact in India's history is Lonar Lake in Maharashtra. About 500,000 years ago, an asteroid hit Lonar. This resulted in the formation of a large crater which is known as the lake today. The width of this crater is more than one square kilometer. Which shows the intensity of their collision. ISRO Chairman Dr. S Somanath said that ISRO will study the Apophis 2029 flyby closely. We have living examples like Lonar Lake which was formed by the impact of a meteorite. By studying this incident, preparations will be made to deal with potential threats in the future.