An asteroid the size of the Giza pyramids has scientists worried

The universe is in constant motion, and sometimes astrological events are undetectable from our planet with the naked eye, especially when an asteroid is about to pass so close to our planet that worries scientists.

It is the asteroid Apophis, which is 305 meters in diameter and named after the Egyptian god of chaos and destruction. NASA scientists have been studying this asteroid for years, as it can pass within 48,300 kilometers of Earth within five years.

It was discovered in 2004, setting off alarm bells since astronomers calculated its orbit and predicted an impact in 2029.

“Thanks to additional observations of Apophis, the risk of an impact in 2029 was later ruled out, as well as the risk of another close approach in 2036. However, the impact for 2068 is still small,” explains NASA.

Thus, on April 13, 2029, Apophis will be closest to Earth, visible to the naked eye. NASA's OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft will be on hand to rendezvous with the asteroid, and a number of smaller satellites are being considered for docking during the mission.Space.com'.

Within the framework of the “NEAlight” project led by aerospace engineer Hakan Kayal from the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU), three spacecraft concepts that take advantage of this unique phenomenon have been presented. These satellites seek to collect data that will contribute to a better understanding of the solar system and improve defense measures against dangerous asteroids.

Near-Earth Asteroids

According to NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, two asteroids will approach Earth in late 2024.

The first is asteroid 2007 FT3, which will pass by the planet on October 3, 2024. It has an approximate length of 340 meters and a size of 20. The asteroid, which was initially classified as 'lost', has been spotted for the first time. March 2007 in Mount Lemon, Arizona. Then, it fainted too much to notice and disappeared from space. According to NASA, on this date it will pass 138 million kilometers from Earth, which is equal to 360 times the distance between our planet and the Moon. It does not represent any danger to the earth.

The second asteroid is 20011 Yo1, which is expected to pass by on December 17, 2024. It has an approximate size of 3 meters and a volume of 20.8. This small asteroid is part of the Apollo group and was detected for the first time on December 17, 2022.

There is a one in 430 chance that asteroid 2022 YO1 will collide with Earth this December. However, the 'Star Walk' portal indicates that if it enters Earth's atmosphere, it will explode like a fireball, causing no damage to Earth's soil.