“God of Darkness” asteroid will pass so close it is expected to get “the shakes”
The asteroid Apophis, often referred to as the “God of Darkness,” will make a close approach to Earth on April 13, 2029, and scientists predict it will experience what they call “the shakes” as it whizzes past our planet.
Apophis, a 1,120-foot-wide asteroid classified as a potentially hazardous object by NASA, will come closer to Earth than some of our communication satellites.
When Apophis passes Earth on April 13, 2029, the asteroid will feel the effects of Earth’s gravity, leading to a phenomenon called “the shakes.”
“Earth’s gravity will be tugging at the asteroid and make it vibrate or shake a bit as it goes by,” explained scientist Dr. Marina Brozović of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL).
The effect of the gravitational pull on the asteroid’s structure is not a recent discovery. It was first theorized in 1973 and observed with the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft, which had the effect confirmed in 2007 when the satellite passed within 250 miles of Mars’ surface.
As Apophis makes its close approach, NASA’s planetary defense teams will seize the opportunity to conduct research and gather valuable data to help them understand the asteroid’s composition, shape, and rotation, using advanced radar systems.
“The shaking may also change the way light reflects off of the asteroid,” said scientist Dr. Brozović.
Apophis, classified as a potentially hazardous object by NASA, will pass closer to Earth than communication satellites, allowing researchers to gather vital information that could contribute to planning future missions.
The information gathered from Apophis’s encounter will be beneficial for preparing and planning for potential asteroid impacts.
Apophis’s trajectory in the near future has been studied and researchers are confident it will not collide with Earth, but the knowledge gleaned from its close approach will prove helpful for mitigating threats from asteroids in the future.
While this close encounter does not pose an immediate threat to Earth, scientists at NASA and around the world will closely monitor the asteroid’s trajectory as it prepares for its close encounter with Earth.
