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Apophis comes closer: amateur astronomer talks about the consequences of an asteroid impact

2022-05-12T14:00:46.133Z


Apophis comes closer: amateur astronomer talks about the consequences of an asteroid impact Created: 05/12/2022, 15:51 By: Felix Herz 2029 is coming Apophis: Asteroid impact on earth? © YAY Images/IMAGO There is always speculation about the fatal impact of an asteroid on earth. In 2029 Apophis will come by - after all, with a diameter of 350 meters. Kitzingen – How big would an asteroid have


Apophis comes closer: amateur astronomer talks about the consequences of an asteroid impact

Created: 05/12/2022, 15:51

By: Felix Herz

2029 is coming Apophis: Asteroid impact on earth?

© YAY Images/IMAGO

There is always speculation about the fatal impact of an asteroid on earth.

In 2029 Apophis will come by - after all, with a diameter of 350 meters.

Kitzingen – How big would an asteroid have to be to pose a real threat to the human species?

The celestial body that ended the age of dinosaurs about 65 million years ago was 10 kilometers in diameter.

Apophis is not nearly that big – the asteroid discovered in 2004 is “only” 350 meters in diameter.

And yet: in the event of an impact on the earth, Apophis would release an energy of 900 megatons.

For comparison: The largest nuclear explosion ever triggered by humans had a value of 50 megatons, according to

infranken.de

.

Asteroid impact on earth: astronomer talks about consequences

In any case, Apophis would not be a “planet killer”, as asteroids are otherwise called, if they are able to wipe out all human life on earth.

It is estimated that such a comet would hit the earth about every 100 million years, explains amateur astronomer Ulf Fiebig from Kitzingen, Bavaria, to

infranken.de

.

The 58-year-old belongs to a Franconian group of amateur astronomers who have organized themselves as "Forum Stellarum" and gave the newspaper an interview.

There is no question that at some point a more or less large asteroid would hit the earth, explains Fiebig.

It's just a matter of when that happens.

Just a few days ago, on May 10th, an asteroid flew close by Earth - "close" being a flexible term from a cosmological point of view.

The distance between 2009 JF1 and the earth was 13 million kilometers, writes

infranken.de

.

(By the way: Our Bayern newsletter informs you about all the important stories from Bavaria. Register here.)

Apepa comes really close to earth - and will offer a spectacle

For a long time one would have looked in the direction of Apophis with rather deep worry lines, explains the Kitzinger

infranken.de

.

The asteroid would have stayed near the sun for a long time, so its exact trajectory could not be determined.

Now we know more: in 2029 the comet will pass the earth - and will pass by a hair's breadth.

The distance between Apophis and Earth will be just under 32,000 kilometres.

Due to its strong brightness, you could even see it with the naked eye, writes

infranken.de

.

In 2036, Apepa will stop by again, again at a safe distance.

On his third return, however, an impact cannot be ruled out – but that will not be the case until 2068.

Hundreds of asteroids cross Earth's orbit again and again.

150 of them are of a more dangerous nature, mainly because they come from the direction of the sun and are difficult to calculate and only discovered late.

And if it gets really dangerous, there are still protection options, for example with a probe "that hits the asteroid," Fiebig told

infranken.de

.

(

fhz

)

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Source: merkur

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