Apophis - Doomsday Asteroid
If we look at the history of Earth, we will find out that from the beginning of time to till now, Earth has been haunted by innumerable prophecies and doomsday predictions. The latest prophecy was the Mayan prophecy but their calendar did end on December 2012 as predicted but nothing happened to the Earth. Most of the people were relieved but it was short lived, as another doomsday is coming towards the Earth at high speed. The Mayan prophecy was a legend but this threat is real as the Earth. The most recent threat to join the list of doomsday predictions is the Asteroid Apophis, which is named after the Egyptian God of Death. Some people also call it the "Doomsday Asteroid." If we look at the geography of earth, we will find craters and some of them are enormous and these craters are the living proofs of damage caused by asteroid collisions.
Discovery
Asteroid Apophis was first discovered in June 19, 2004, when it passed within 9 million miles from earth. After its discovery it was given the scientific name 2004 MN4 and a permanent number 99942. It was estimated to be 885 feet wide. Later on, its name was changed to Apophis, which is an Egyptian God but it also means that the asteroid is coming to swallow Earth.
Close Encounter And Growing Big
After its discovery, Apophis again came close to earth on January 9, 2013, when it passed within 9.3 million miles from Earth. It did kept a safe distance from Earth but the scientists of European Space Agency noted a slight change in the size of the asteroid. During its discovery it was estimated to be 885 feet wide but now it measured 1,066 feet wide, nearly a growth of 20%. The scientists believe that this increase in size is due to the heating and cooling effects of the sun on the asteroid.
Final Showdown
Scientists all over the world are really concerned about the increasing size of Apophils. According to the scientific calculations, the asteroid will again come close to Earth on April 13, 2029. At that day it will be within 22,000 miles from the Earth, and that is definitely close. Scientists believe that there is a slight chance that the asteroid might hit earth on this visit. Even if it didn't hit earth, it will definitely create substantial damage by altering the gravitational field of Earth. Surviving this day means, we can live for another 7 years because scientists believe that asteroid Apophis will definitely come in contact with the Earth in 2036.
What If Apophis Hits The Earth?
At this time, we are not sure whether it will hit or not but, one thing is clear that it will definitely destroy many satellites. NASA scientists believe that the asteroid will be definitely bigger in 2029 than its previous version. This can lead to greater damage. If the asteroid hits the earth, it will not kill us all but it will definitely disrupt the flow of life on Earth which may last for a few decades. It can also cause a sudden change in the Earth's global climate which may also last for a few decades.
Most Popular Asteroid Impacts
These craters were made by asteroids billions of years ago, and with the passage of time it is really impossible to judge the size of the asteroids by looking at these craters but they were definitely enormous.
1. Vredefort Crater
This crater is in South Africa, and it was discovered in 1937. This crater is also known as Vredefort Dome, and scientific experiments had proved that this crater was created more than 2 billion years ago. The size of this crater is 190 kilometers in radius and because of this it hold's the record for the largest impact structure on Earth. It is also the oldest impact structure on Earth. This unique feature of this crater prompted the UNESCO to declare it as a "World Heritage Site" in 2005.
2. Sudbury Basin
It is located in Ontario, Canada. This the world's second largest impact structure, measuring 81 miles in radius. The date of asteroid impact is estimated to be 1.8 billion year ago. There is still confusion among scientists whether this crater was created by an meteor impact or by an volcano eruption. Most of the scientists favor the theory of asteroid impact and it is one of the oldest impact structures on Earth.
3. Acraman Crater
This crater is in South Australia and the impact is estimated to be more than 580 million years ago. It is 56 miles in diameter and what used to be a crater is now filled with Lake Acraman.
4. Woodleigh Crater
This crater is also located in Australia but it is on the Western side. The date of meterite impact is estimated to be 364 million years ago. The original radius of this crater is difficult to estimate because it is not exposed on the surface. According to scientific assumptions the diameter of this crater varies from 25 to 75 miles.
5. Manicouagan Crater
This crater is located in North West, South Africa, near the Kalahari Desert. This crater was created more than 145 million years ago. The size of this crater is 60 miles in radius and it is the only crater which contains the fossilized remains of the asteroid that created it.
6. Chicxulub Crater
This prehistoric crater is the most important experimenting grounds for scientists because they believe that the asteroid that created this crater is responsible for the extinction of dinosaurs. It is located in Yucatan, Mexico and it was created 65 million years ago. Its actual diameter is still unknown, it varies from 106 to 192 kilometers. If the latter diameter is proved, then this will be the biggest crater on Earth.
7. Popigai Crater
This crater is in Siberia, Russia and it is the seventh largest impact structure on Earth. It is also the most precious crater on Earth because scientists claim that this crater site contains billions of carats of diamonds. If the claim is true, then it is one of the largest diamond deposits in the world. As these diamonds are formed as a result of an impact, they are also called "impact diamonds."
All these craters were made at least millions of years ago, and if Apophis hits Earth then it will be a new record after millions of years and whether humans live to watch this new history or extinct like the dinosaurs, only time will tell.
The source of images used in this article is wikimedia.
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