What damage would Apophis do if it hit the Earth?

What would happen if Apophis hit Earth? Apophis would cause widespread destruction up to several hundred of kilometers from its impact site. The energy released would be equal more than 1,000 megatons of TNT, or tens to hundreds of nuclear weapons.

Can Apophis be deflected?

Because both the needed velocity change and the mass of Apophis are small, the needed impulse (change in momentum) is so small that deflection can be done simply by ramming the asteroid with the spacecraft, and such a deflection by impact is the easiest deflection method.

Will Apophis ever hit Earth?

On average, an asteroid the size of Apophis (370 metres) is expected to impact Earth once in about 80,000 years. Observations in 2020 by the Subaru telescope confirmed David Vokrouhlický’s 2015 Yarkovsky effect predictions.

Will the asteroid Apophis ever hit Earth?

Current calculations show that Apophis still has a very small chance of impacting Earth — less than 1 in 100,000 many decades from now. The most important observations of Apophis will come during its close Earth flyby in 2029. Scientists around the world will study the asteroid’s size, shape, composition and possibly even its interior.

What is the size of the asteroid 99942 Apophis?

In Depth Asteroid 99942 Apophis is a near-Earth asteroid more than 1000 feet (over 300 meters) in size that will harmlessly pass close to Earth on April 13, 2029. When it was discovered in 2004, the asteroid caused a stir because initial calculations indicated a small possibility it would impact Earth in 2029.

How close can an asteroid get to Earth?

Although scientists have spotted small asteroids, on the order of 5-10 meters, flying by Earth at a similar distance, asteroids the size of Apophis are far fewer in number and so do not pass this close to Earth as often.

What will we learn from Apophis in 2029?

The most important observations of Apophis will come during its close Earth flyby in 2029. Scientists around the world will study the asteroid’s size, shape, composition and possibly even its interior. Apophis is a 1,120-foot-wide (340-meter-wide) asteroid.