NASA's OSIRIS-REx, now named OSIRIS-APEx, has been reignited with a mission to explore the approaching "God of Chaos" asteroid, Apophis. This asteroid is expected to make an incredibly close pass by Earth's orbit, a mere 20,000 miles away, in 2029.
This space probe, fresh from its seven-year mission collecting samples from the asteroid Bennu, has been redirected to analyze the unprecedented close encounter of Apophis with Earth. Such an event, according to NASA, hasn't been witnessed since the earliest recorded history.
Apophis, also known as the "God of Chaos," will zoom by Earth on April 13, 2029, closer than some man-made satellites. There's even a possibility it might be visible from the Eastern Hemisphere. This type of close encounter happens only approximately every 7,500 years.
As Apophis nears Earth's orbit, its path will be affected by Earth's gravitational pull. NASA's OSIRIS-APEX will closely observe the changes on its surface resulting from this encounter, as explained by project scientist Amy Simon.
One of the anticipated impacts is the potential change in Apophis' day, currently measured at approximately 30.6 hours. Earth's influence might alter this duration and could potentially trigger seismic activities like earthquakes and landslides on the asteroid dubbed the "God of Chaos."
Dani Mendoza DellaGiustina, principal investigator for OSIRIS-APEX at the University of Arizona in Tucson, highlighted that studying these changes will shed light on fundamental processes involved in planet formation, such as tidal forces and the accumulation of materials.
