Close Calls<\/p>\n
In 48 years, an asteroid named after the Egyptian God of Chaos Apophis might hit the Earth.<\/p>\n
Apophis will pass particularly close to the Earth in 2068, Popular Mechanics reports. And because its orbit is drifting little by little, theres a chance that it actually hits us. The odds of that happening are fairly low but the risk, scientists say, is real.<\/p>\n
Even before then, Apophis will swing by for a visit. In 2029, it will even pass between the Earth and a network of satellites, at which point well be able to see it with our naked eyes, PopMech reports.<\/p>\n
The University of Hawaii astronomers who couldnt rule out the 2068 impact say that the 2029 transit will definitely be harmless, though. Their work, which was presented at a 2020 meeting of the American Astronomical Society, has been tracking the changing orbit of Apophis since it was discovered in 2004.<\/p>\n
Again, the odds that Apophis actually poses a threat to us are slim the probability is low, but the consequences would be catastrophic. Still, space agencies are preparing, according to PopMech. NASA and SpaceX are launching the DART mission, which will serve as a practice round for the plan to deflect potentially killer asteroids.<\/p>\n
Russian scientists have also said theyre developing a nuclear missile they intend to shoot at Apophis so at the very least, the space rock wont catch us off guard.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: A God of Chaos Asteroid Could Hit Earth in 2068 [Popular Mechanics]<\/p>\n
More on asteroids: This Awful Tabloid Predicts a Killer Asteroid Almost Every Day<\/p>\n
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Continue reading here: Close Calls In 48 years, an asteroid named after the Egyptian God of Chaos Apophis might hit the Earth. Continue reading
\nThere's a Chance This Giant Asteroid Will Smash Earth in 2068 - Futurism<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"