The Unexpected Will Happen When the "God of Destruction" Attacks Earth

(NLDO) - The "God of Destruction" - which tops the list of objects capable of colliding with Earth - may encounter a surprise in 2029.

"God of Destruction" is the nickname scientists gave to 99942 Apophis (abbreviated as Apophis), the asteroid that tops NASA and ESA's list of the most dangerous asteroids to Earth.

Apophis is also the name of a god in ancient Egyptian mythology who represents darkness and chaos.

Previous calculations suggested that Apophis could approach or collide with Earth in 2029, but scientists have since ruled out the risk of a collision. But that doesn't mean the two objects won't interact.

Predicted shape of the "God of Destruction" - Graphic image: NASA

According to new research led by planetary scientist Ronald Ballouz from the Applied Physics Laboratory of Johns Hopkins University (USA), the "Destroyer" will not pose a danger to Earth but will instead be attacked by Earth.

More specifically, the close approach would be enough for the gravitational interaction between Earth and Apophis to significantly change the asteroid's surface.

This discovery could explain why some asteroids appear younger on the surface than they actually are as they move through space.

According to Science Alert, to come to the above conclusion, the research team modeled Apophis's flyby of Earth in 2029. According to the research team, it is not really known what shape this asteroid has, but the data obtained shows that it has two lobes, perhaps a pair of connected objects not unlike the potato-shaped asteroid 25143 Itokawa that humanity has understood quite well.

So they took Itokawa as the base model and adjusted the composition to make it more suitable for a "God of Destruction".

The results suggest that the asteroid will experience a series of short-term seismic events as it approaches Earth.

The "patterns" created when large boulders on Apophis' surface are lifted and lowered can be detected immediately by instruments on Earth.

That's just the beginning. Gravitational interactions can alter the asteroid's spin and cause it to continue its journey around the sun on a new spin, its surface continuing to change and renew itself for tens of thousands of years.

Apophis was first discovered in 2004, and is estimated to be over 300 m in size.

After NASA declared that Earth would be safe from it for at least the next 100 years, the scientific community breathed a sigh of relief and looked forward to its visit in 2029. Then it would come close enough for them to study it more closely and conduct some experiments.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/dieu-khong-ngo-se-xay-ra-khi-than-huy-diet-tan-cong-trai-dat-196241114111322639.htm