Tech ArticlesThe odds of it happening at any given moment are slim. But given plenty of time, the chances of a collision with a near-Earth object become astronomical. With one such object in particular, 99942 Apophis, the risk is high enough that people are starting to take notice.
Apophis (namesake of a god called "the Destroyer") passes near the Earth about every six years. On a Friday the 13th in the year 2029, Apophis will pass within 18,640 miles of us. At that time, there will be some important measurements to make in determining whether gravity has influenced Apophis enough to cause a collision in 2035 or 2036. Currently, the odds of a collision are set at around 1 in 5,000.
Just in case this becomes a major risk, NASA is formulating a plan. Reportedly, such a plan would not include any of Hollywood's contingencies like attaching an engine to, exploding, or mining the asteroid but instead putting a 20-ton object in orbit around the asteroid to influence its path safely away from us. Given its 390 meter diameter, Apophis would easily take out a small country if a collision occurs.
Rollie Hawk is a consultant, web publisher, online personality, magazine writer, web developer, network administrator, teacher, husband and father residing in southern Illinois. He graduated in 2002 from Southern Illinois University, earning his BS majoring in math with a minor in chemistry.