Apophis 'God of Chaos' Asteroid is speeding up in its journey towards Earth

Recently, researchers at the University of Hawaii Institute for Astronomy (IfA) revealed that the Apophis asteroid is approaching the earth at a great velocity. The Apophis asteroid, named after the God of Chaos is getting pushed around by sunlight and it reportedly under the influence of Yarkovsky effect. Apophis was originally named Asteroid 2068 by NASA as it was supposed to approach earth in 2068. But there is a high probability that it might reach earth before 2068 due to Yarkovsky acceleration. Read on to know more about the Apophis asteroid.

Read | NASA confirms water presence on the Moon's Clavius crater; says 'key for Artemis mission'

Apophis size: How big is the asteroid?

A report in NASA’s official website has revealed that the Apophis asteroid is approximately the size of two-and-a-half football fields. The potential impact of the asteroid will be equivalent to 880 million tons of trinitrotoluene (TNT) exploding at the same time. NASA calculates that this will be 65,000 times more destructive than the Hiroshima nuclear disaster.

Read | Nasa to announce ‘exciting new discovery’ about moon on October 26 via teleconference

Will Apophis hit Earth?

NASA has revealed that as a result of the acceleration of its speed, instead of reaching Earth by 2068, Apophis asteroid will be reaching Earth on April 13, 2029. It will be near-earth object then as it will come as close as 31,200 kilometres (19,400 mi) above Earth's surface. But it is highly unlikely that the 2068 asteroid will hit the earth.

Read | NASA spacecraft successfully collects Asteroid Bennu's surface sample for further research

What is the Yarkovsky effect?

According to NASA, the Yarkovsky effect happens where sunlight heats up the dayside of an asteroid and as the asteroid moves and turns, the heat is released by its night side. This release can result in a small thrust, a lot of which combined can possibly change the direction of the asteroid in question. In fact, NASA’s endeavour to collect a sample from Asteroid Bennu is one of the ongoing efforts to understand the full effects of the Yarkovsky effect.

Read | Asteroid samples escaping from jammed NASA spacecraft

How big was the asteroid that killed dinosaurs?

Another report in National Geographic reveals that 66 million years ago a 7.5-mile-wide asteroid crashed into the ocean near what is now the port town of Chicxulub, Mexico. The massive impact brought the age of dinosaurs to an abrupt end and wiped out the vast majority of the iconic beasts. It also wiped out about three-quarters of all life on Earth.

Image Source: Shutterstock