The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is keeping a close eye on a massive asteroid named Apophis. This asteroid, named after the Egyptian God of Chaos, is set to make its nearest approach to Earth on April 13, 2029. The asteroid’s approach has sparked concern due to its size and the potential threat it poses.

Planetary Defence Added to ISRO's Mission

ISRO has expanded its role to include planetary defence. The newly formed Network for Space Objects Tracking and Analysis (NETRA) is tasked with monitoring potential threats from space. Dr S Somanath, ISRO Chairman, emphasised the importance of this mission. “A large asteroid strike is a real existential threat,” he told NDTV.

Discovered in 2004, Apophis’s orbit has been closely monitored. It will pass near Earth again in 2029 and 2036. Despite concerns, studies suggest a 2029 flyby may not result in a collision. The asteroid’s closest approach will be within the orbit of India’s geostationary satellites.

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Potential Impact and Size

Apophis, measuring about 340 to 450 meters in diameter, is significantly larger than India's largest aircraft carrier and cricket stadium. Any asteroid over 140 meters in diameter that comes close to Earth is considered potentially hazardous. ISRO warns that an asteroid of this size could cause “continental scale devastation.”

A collision with a larger asteroid could cause “global disruption,” according to Dr A K Anil Kumar of NETRA. The dust from such an impact could blanket the atmosphere, affecting global climate. The Lonar Crater Lake in Maharashtra, formed by a meteor strike 500,000 years ago, serves as a historical example of such impacts.

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Global Efforts to Monitor Apophis

NASA plans to launch missions to study Apophis’s trajectory and composition. NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, which previously returned asteroid samples, may rendezvous with Apophis. The European Space Agency’s RAMSES mission, slated for 2028, might involve India. Strategies to avert potential threats include asteroid deflection techniques or, as a last resort, nuclear detonation.
Recent asteroid impacts include the 2013 strike in Russia, injuring 1,500 people. The 1908 Tunguska event destroyed 80 million trees in Russia. The most catastrophic impact occurred 650 million years ago in Mexico, leading to the extinction of dinosaurs and 70% of species.

ISRO’s vigilance underscores the critical need to understand and prepare for cosmic threats. The world’s leading space agencies are working together to protect Earth from potential asteroid impacts.

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