A simulation has shown what the impact would be if the Apophis asteroid hit Earth.
Known as the 'God of Chaos,' 99942 Apophis is a peanut-shaped asteroid about 340 meters wide.
On April 13, 2029, Apophis is expected to come within about 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometers) of Earth, traveling over the Atlantic Ocean. It will move so fast that it will cross the sky in less than an hour.
Auto DraftWhile there's no expectation of Apophis striking Earth, a recent study suggests a small chance that another object, just 0.6 meters long, could alter its path. However, this is considered unlikely.
Canadian astronomer Paul Wiegert and his co-author Benjamin Hyatt investigated the possibility of Apophis colliding with another object, potentially sending it on a collision course with Earth.
Their research, published in The Planetary Science, indicates that if this object were to grow to 3.4 meters, it might knock Apophis off its trajectory.
Should that occur, Apophis could impact Earth at some future date.
However, the scientists report that the likelihood of this scenario is extremely low, pegged at about 2.7 percent.
But what if the asteroid actually hit our planet? How severe would the impact be?
According to the digital platform Cosmoknowledge, while Apophis is not a "planet killer," its impact would still be catastrophic.
A simulation shows that if it were to strike Earth, it would release kinetic energy equivalent to "1,000 megatons of TNT, or tens to hundreds of nuclear weapons."
Such an event wouldn't threaten humanity's existence but would cause "billions" of deaths and significant climate disruption.
"We would have to get out of the way if we could not stop it or change its trajectory," they explain.
"A project of that magnitude would necessitate global cooperation as millions of people would become the first space refugees."
"Depending on the size, density, speed and angle of approach of the asteroid, such an evacuation may not be possible."
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NASA has commented on the potential scenario after conducting investigations into the asteroid last year.
In their statement, the space agency said: "The intrigue of Apophis is its exceptionally close approach of our planet on April 13, 2029."
"Although Apophis will not hit Earth during this encounter or in the foreseeable future, the pass in 2029 will bring the asteroid within 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometres) of the surface - closer than some satellites, and close enough that it could be visible to the naked eye in the Eastern Hemisphere."
"Scientists estimate that asteroids of Apophis' size, about 367 yards across (about 340 metres), come this close to Earth only once every 7,500 years."
