Scientists calculate the probability of collision of the asteroid Apophis with the Earth: what are the results

A few years ago, astronomers said that the potentially dangerous asteroid Apophis posed no threat to Earth unless it suddenly changed its flight path. SSPDaily tells about it.

Now, scientists have conducted additional simulations using new changes, arXiv writes.

Astronomers have conducted a new study in case Apophis collides with one of the space rocks, of which there are millions in the solar system, and changes its trajectory. In 2022, scientists proved that such collisions can lead to orbit changes by colliding the DART spacecraft with the asteroid Dimorphos.

Based on the data, the scientists assured that in the coming years Apophis will not collide with any other celestial body in the Solar System, among those known to science. The hypothetical possibility of such a scenario remains, but it is very small.

The asteroid Apophis was discovered in 2004 and was immediately assessed as a potential threat. Initially, scientists cited an alarming 2.7 percent chance of crashing into the Earth during its passage in 2029. Later studies ruled out this possibility. The asteroid's orbit passes near the Earth every 8 years, so scientists continued to research and study the likelihood of a collision. Calculations during its passage near Earth in 2021 finally ruled out the possibility of a collision in the foreseeable future.