According to an astrophysicist, the massive asteroid dubbed “God of Chaos” may be headed straight for Earth, arriving on Friday the 13th.
When 99942 Apophis was first identified in 2004, it was thought to have a mere 2.7% probability of hitting Earth in 2029.
After more observations ruled out the chance of a collision, it was estimated that on Friday, April 13, 2029, it will approach Earth closely, getting no closer than 18,300 miles away.
However, a recent research by Canadian astronomer Paul Wiegert indicates that this course might be significantly changed if the asteroid collides with a “small object.”
“There is a 108 percent chance that an unseen small asteroid will deflect Apophis sufficiently to steer it toward Earth in 2029 (d 3.4 m, v > 5 102 m s1),” he stated. The entire likelihood of a tiny impact guiding Apophis toward a collision with Earth is less than one in two billion, since only 5% of such impulses are in the right direction to generate an impact.”
The idea states that for the asteroid’s route to be altered, the distance “d” must be at least 3.4 meters or more, and the change in velocity “v” must be larger than 5 102 meters per second, according to Google Gemini.
“An additional element of the story is that Apophis has been largely unmonitored by telescopes since May 2021 and will remain so through 2027,” the expert said, sounding an unsettling warning.
“This arises simply because, during the relevant time span, the asteroid is located in the daytime sky due to the relative geometry of Apophis, Earth, and the Sun.”
