God of Chaos: NASA to study asteroid that might hit Earth in... - IndiaTimes

NEW DELHI: American space agency NASA with the help of its advanced ground and space-based telescope has found several asteroids which pose a possible risk for Earth. Bennu is the most prominent asteroid among them which has a 1/2700 chance of hitting Earth between 2175 and 2195. Dust and rock samples collected from Bennu were recently brought back to Earth by NASA.
Additionally, NASA has directed OSIRIS-REx spacecraft to study another possibly dangerous asteroid, Apophis.This asteroid is believed to get very close to Earth in this decade. The space agency has named this mission as God of Chaos.
NASA will now use the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft to investigate the close approach of asteroid Apophis in 2029. However, it has no plans to gather samples from Apophis. Instead it will use spacecraft's thrusters while being 16 feet above the asteroid's surface to stir up rocks and dust to see the material beneath the asteroid's surface.
“The close approach is a great natural experiment. We know that tidal forces and the accumulation of rubble pile material are foundational processes that could play a role in planet formation. They could inform how we got from debris in the early solar system to full-blown planets," said Dani Mendoza DellaGiustina, Principal investigator for OSIRIS-APEX.
The mission has been named God of Chaos as Apophis because it means evil serpent in ancient Egyptian mythology. It is labeled as Asteroid 2004 MN4 by NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies and is named as Asteroid 99942 Apophis.
As per NASA, Asteroid 99942 Apophis is scheduled to make a very close approach to Earth on April 13, 2029. On that day, it will get as close as 38,000 kilometers to Earth's surface, closer than many satellites orbiting the planet. Surprisingly, it will be visible to observers in the Eastern Hemisphere without needing a telescope or binoculars! The asteroid will be traveling at a speed of approximately 26,712 kilometers per hour, almost as fast as an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM).
Scientists have ruled out the asteroid's risk of impact in 2029, but concerns remain for potential impacts in 2036 and 2068.

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