Avalaaaanche!
On an asteroid?
Hey guys, Amy here for DNews.
Avalanches aren’t exactly a big killer of humans, but they’re still a hazard for skiers,
climbers, bikers… basically anyone who does any sport in secluded areas on mountains.
But one avalanche scientists have managed to predict will be both super cool and super
safe for all extreme sports fans: an avalanche on an asteroid.
Scientists have been tracking a football field–sized asteroid called Apophis, and it turns out
this space rock is going to make a very close fly by the Earth -- it will come within 22,000
miles of our planet -- in 2029.
It’s not going to affect us or our planet at all, but the Earth’s gravity will take
its toll on the asteroid, triggering a series of small avalanches.
Scientists are basing this avalanche prediction on pictures Japan’s Hayabusa spacecraft
took of an Apophis-sized asteroid called Itokawa.
Itokawa, it turns out, isn’t a solid mass but a clump of rocky debris held loosely together
by gravity.
It’s likely Apophis is the same, not a solid mass but a clump of debris.
Computer modeling revealed how a loosely shaped asteroid might behave passing by our planet.
Scientist placed virtual piles of sand on the surface of a model asteroid with roughly
the same shape and dimensions as Apophis.
They factored in the asteroids own gravity, the tidal forces from the Earth, and centrifugal
force from the asteroid’s rotation, and other inertial forces.
Then they measured the effects on the sand piles.
The results confirmed that the Earth's tidal forces will be strong enough during the encounter
to cause tiny avalanches on the asteroid.
So while the view from up close on Apophis might be awesome during the close pass, it
dangerous, and unfortunately we won’t see much of anything from our Earthly vantage
point.
These avalanches are going to move extremely slowly thanks to the asteroid’s low gravity.
And really, the shifting rock is probably just going to keep Apophis looking young.
It’s going to resurface the asteroid sort of like a microdermabrasion treatment.
Still, pretty neat that we can predict an avalanche on an asteroid five years in advance,
eh?
Let us know in the comments below or you can catch me on Twitter as @astVintageSpace.
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