the 'doomsday' asteroid apophis .doc

8/14/2019 The 'Doomsday' asteroid Apophis .doc

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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2259136/Apophis-Doomsday-asteroid-hit-Earth-236-whi!!ed-past-us.html

Pictured: The 'Doomsday' asteroid Apophis that could hit Earth in 2036 as itwhizzed past us (ut don't worry it was still nine million miles away!

"000 #oot wide asteroid will rush past the Earth at a distance o# 30$000%m

&cientists claim little chance o# it hittin us ut scientists warn o# 'tiny ut real' li%elihood it

may in 2036

)ame inspired y two o# the asteroid's codisco*erers #a*orite science #iction *illain

"y $ark %ri&&P+,-.&/ED:1':(5 )$*+ , anuary 213 +PDATED:13:9 )$*+ 1 anuary 213

*he European pace A&ency0s oritin& telescope has captured strikin& new ima&es o the hu&e0Doomsday0 asteroid Apophis that could smash into Earth in 236 - reealin& it is lar&er than preiouslythou&ht.

4on& illed as a potential cause o an Etinction 4eel Eent E4E7 or humanity+ today EA oicials

announced that its 8erschel pace seratory discoered that the asteroid is 1+66 eet wide+ 2percent lar&er than the preious estimate o ,,5 eet.

hi!!in& past Earth at the relatiely close distance o nine million miles toni&ht+ Apophis is ein&

closely tracked ecause o a 2( study that predicted the rock has a 2.' percent chance o hittin&Earth in April 229+ which was later reised to 236.

&croll down #or *ideo

EAs 8erschel pace seratory captured asteroid Apophis in its ield o iew durin& the approach to Earth on anuary+ 5-6+213. *his ima&e shows the asteroid in 8erschels three %A; waelen&ths: '+ 1 and 16 microns

0*he 2 percent increase in diameter < translates into a '5 percent increase in our estimates o theasteroid0s olume or mass+0 study leader *homas $=ller o the $a %lanck >nstitute or Etraterrestrial

%hysics in )archin&+ )ermany+ said in a statement.

>n addition to the latest indin&s two ree wecasts will stream lie iews o the asteroid as it passes+

ilmed rom telescopes in >taly and the ;anary >slands.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2259136/Apophis-Doomsday-asteroid-hit-Earth-2036-whizzed-past-us.htmlhttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=&authornamef=Mark+Prigghttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2259136/Apophis-Doomsday-asteroid-hit-Earth-2036-whizzed-past-us.htmlhttp://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=&authornamef=Mark+Prigg


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*he ideo streams rom looh pace *elescope and ?irtual *elescope %ro@ect will show Apophis as amoin& li&ht streakin& across the sky - althou&h scientists hae said that sadly the lar&e space rock istoo small to e seen throu&h home telescopes.

Alone amon& all these near-Earth asteroids that hae passed our way in recent years+ Apophis has

&enerated the most concern worldwide ecause o its etremely close approach in 229 and Bchanceso aC potential impact+ aleit small+ in 236+ said looh president %atrick %aolucci.

>ndeed+ while scientists hae ruled out any possiility o a cataclysmic collision - there remains a eryreal chance o the asteroid Apophis smashin& into Earth in 236.

0Apophis has een one o those celestial odies that has captured the pulic0s interest since it wasdiscoered in 2(+0 said tee ;hesley at AA0s et %ropulsion 4aoratory in %asadena+ ;aliornia.

an. ,+ 213: At aout 36 hours rom the minimum distance 9.3 million miles rom Earth7+ potentially ha!ardous asteroid

Apophis was ima&ed a&ain with the ?irtual *elescope

0Fpdated computational techniGues and newly aailale data indicate the proaility o an Earthencounter on April 13+ 236+ or Apophis has dropped rom one-in-(5+ to aout our-in-a million.0


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*he science o predictin& asteroid orits is ased on a physical model o the solar system whichincludes the &raitational inluence o the sun+ moon+ other planets and the three lar&est asteroids.

The potential planet %iller named a#ter a science #iction *illain

ne year ater its discoery+ the asteroid was &ien the idenitication numer o 999(2 in 25.

*his made it eli&ile to e e named and on uly 19th 25+ the asteroid was called 0Apophis0.

Apophis is the )reek name or the the enemy o the Ancient E&yptian sun &od Ha.

8e is the Fncreator+ and is characterised as an eil serpent who dwells in eternal darkness and

tries to consume Ha durin& his ni&htly passa&e.

Hoy A. *ucker+ Daid . *holen+ two o the asteroids co-discoerers are also ans o the science

iction teleision series tar&ate )-1.

A prominent illain in that show is called Apophis+ who in the mytholo&y o that particular

series+ &ae rise to the myth o the E&yptian &od.

AA detects and tracks asteroids and comets passin& close to Earth usin& oth &round and space-

ased telescopes.

*he ear Earth-@ect serations %ro&ram+ commonly called 0pace&uard+0 discoers these o@ects+characteri!es a suset o them and plots their orits to determine i any could e potentially ha!ardousto our planet.

*his year Apophis+ named ater an E&yptian mytholo&ical demon+ will not &et closer than around ninemillion miles.

Doomsday AsteroidI An artist0s renderin& o the asteroid Apophis as created y the European pace A&ency


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Eperts say the impact i Apophis struck the Earth would &enerate a last eGuialent to more than 5 me&atons o **

cientists will use the encounter to improe their estimate o @ust how dan&erous the space rock reallyis to lie on Earth.

>n 229+ Apophis is epected to come uncomortaly close+ rushin& past the Earth at a distance o

@ust 3+ kilometres. *hat will put the asteroid inside the orit o communication satellites.

;urrent models predict a tiny ut real likelihood o Apophis collidin& with the Earth in 236.

hen the asteroid was discoered in 2( scientists calculated a one-in-(5 chance o an impact in229.

>mproed predictions later lited the threat.

*he asteroid0s latest near approach will occur at midni&ht FJ time tomorrow.

$emers o the pulic can iew the eent online ia the looh we-ased sky-watchin& serice+ which

collects ima&es rom oseratories around the world.

0e are ecited to coer this asteroid lie or the &eneral pulic.0

cientists at the American space a&ency asa hae calculated that i Apophis struck the Earth it would&enerate a last eGuialent to more than 5 me&atons o **.

>n comparison+ the most powerul hydro&en om eer detonated+ the oiet *sar "oma+ released 5'me&atons.

the 'doomsday' asteroid apophis .doc

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