Credit: NASAs Goddard Space Flight CenterThe former OSIRIS-REx spacecraft sets off on a journey to study asteroid Apophis and take advantage of the asteroids 2029 flyby of Earth, the likes of which hasnt happened since the dawn of recorded history.At the end of a long-haul road journey, it may be time to kick up your feet and rest some time– especially if it was a seven-year, 4 billion-mile journey to bring Earth a sample of asteroid Bennu. Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of ArizonaA Rare Opportunity at ApophisAfter considering numerous destinations (consisting of Venus and numerous comets), NASA chose to send out the spacecraft to Apophis, an “S-type” asteroid made of silicate products and nickel-iron– a fair bit different than the carbon-rich, “C-type” Bennu.The intrigue of Apophis is its extremely close approach of our planet on April 13, 2029. Apophis will not strike Earth throughout this encounter or in the foreseeable future, the pass in 2029 will bring the asteroid within 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometers) of the surface– closer than some satellites, and close enough that it might be noticeable to the naked eye in the Eastern Hemisphere.Scientists approximate that asteroids of Apophis size, about 367 backyards across (about 340 meters), come this close to Earth only as soon as every 7,500 years.These images of asteroid Apophis were taped by radio antennas at the Deep Space Networks Goldstone complex in California and the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech and NSF/AUI/GBO”OSIRIS-APEX will study Apophis instantly after such a pass, enabling us to see how its surface area modifications by connecting with Earths gravity,” said Amy Simon, the missions project researcher based at NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.Apophis close encounter with Earth will change the asteroids orbit and the length of its 30.6-hour day. What the group discovers about Apophis can notify planetary defense research study, a top priority for NASA.OSIRIS-APEX: Travel ItineraryBy April 2, 2029– around 2 weeks before Apophis close encounter with Earth– OSIRIS-APEXs cams will begin taking images of the asteroid as the spacecraft captures up to it.
Credit: NASA/Goddard/University of ArizonaA Rare Opportunity at ApophisAfter thinking about a number of destinations (including Venus and numerous comets), NASA chose to send out the spacecraft to Apophis, an “S-type” asteroid made of silicate products and nickel-iron– a fair bit various than the carbon-rich, “C-type” Bennu.The intrigue of Apophis is its exceptionally close approach of our world on April 13, 2029. Apophis will not hit Earth throughout this encounter or in the foreseeable future, the pass in 2029 will bring the asteroid within 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometers) of the surface– closer than some satellites, and close enough that it might be noticeable to the naked eye in the Eastern Hemisphere.Scientists approximate that asteroids of Apophis size, about 367 backyards throughout (about 340 meters), come this close to Earth just when every 7,500 years.These images of asteroid Apophis were recorded by radio antennas at the Deep Space Networks Goldstone complex in California and the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia. What the group learns about Apophis can notify planetary defense research, a top priority for NASA.OSIRIS-APEX: Travel ItineraryBy April 2, 2029– around 2 weeks before Apophis close encounter with Earth– OSIRIS-APEXs cameras will start taking images of the asteroid as the spacecraft captures up to it.
