• News
    • Tech News
    • AI
  • Gadgets
    • Apple
    • iPhone
  • Gaming
    • Playstation
    • Xbox
  • Science
    • News
    • Space
  • Streaming
    • Netflix
  • Vehicles
    • Car News
  • Social Media
    • WhatsApp
    • YouTube
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
TikTok
Snapchat
WhatsApp
Submit Your Content
'One of the rarest space events the worlds will ever see' is happening soon and you'll be able to witness it

Home> Science> Space

Updated 10:00 25 Jun 2024 GMT+1Published 10:03 25 Jun 2024 GMT+1

'One of the rarest space events the worlds will ever see' is happening soon and you'll be able to witness it

We will experience a close encounter.

Rikki Loftus

Rikki Loftus

Featured Image Credit: zhihao / Dawam Syah / 500px / Getty
Space
Nasa
Science
Earth

Advert

Advert

Advert

We’ve been lucky enough to witness a lot of cosmic events recently.

With the sun reaching its solar maximum, this has meant a surge of activity including solar storms that have given us plenty of northern light sightings on Earth.

There was also this year’s solar eclipse which saw a rare strip of ‘totality’ go straight through the US and Canada.

This will be one of the rarest space events we will ever see (Dawam Syah /500px/Getty)
This will be one of the rarest space events we will ever see (Dawam Syah /500px/Getty)

Advert

This summer, we can also expect to see a nova - the sudden explosion from a collapsed star, known as a white dwarf.

But the wonders from space don’t stop there, in fact, this upcoming event is one of the rarest from space that the world will ever see.

It’s a visit from an asteroid that may hit Earth in the future.

The asteroid - 99942 Apophis - is on its way to us, but was only first discovered in 2004.

Advert

It was a level two which means the risk of it causing destruction on Earth is low, but further observations done last December have placed it up to level four due to a 1.6% chance that the asteroid would hit us in 2029.

Earth is due to experience a close encounter with the asteroid in 2029 (ANDRZEJ WOJCICKI/Getty)
Earth is due to experience a close encounter with the asteroid in 2029 (ANDRZEJ WOJCICKI/Getty)

Following the Torino Impact Hazard scale, NASA explains that level four is: “A close encounter, meriting attention by astronomers. Current calculations give a 1% or greater chance of collision capable of regional devastation.

“Most likely, new telescopic observations will lead to re-assignment to Level 0. Attention by public and by public officials is merited if the encounter is less than a decade away.”

Advert

No object has ever gone near level four, so the asteroid is providing some worry for the folks at NASA.

Apophis will not collide with Earth in 2029, as well as in 2036 and 2068, though observations have concluded there will still be some close encounters.

There is a 1.6% chance that the asteroid will hit Earth in 2029 (ANDRZEJ WOJCICKI/Getty)
There is a 1.6% chance that the asteroid will hit Earth in 2029 (ANDRZEJ WOJCICKI/Getty)

Davide Farnocchia of NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies said of the asteroid: “A 2068 impact is not in the realm of possibility anymore and our calculations don’t show any impact risk for at least the next 100 years.”

Advert

While, thankfully, there will be no direct hit in 2029, the asteroid will be getting very close to us on Earth.

Apophis will be coming within 32,000 kilometres of the Earth's surface, closer to our planet than some of our satellites.

It should be visible from the Eastern Hemisphere without the need for a telescope or binoculars.

The asteroid is currently at a risk level 4 for Earth (Maciej Frolow/Getty)
The asteroid is currently at a risk level 4 for Earth (Maciej Frolow/Getty)

Advert

And the European Space Agency (ESA) has dubbed its flyby “one of the rarest space events of our lives”.

Taking to X, formerly Twitter, they posted: “The 2029 flyby is an incredibly rare event. By comparing impact craters across the Solar System with the sizes and orbits of all known asteroids, scientists believe that an asteroid as large as Apophis only comes this close to Earth once every 5,000 to 10,000 years.”

Choose your content:

6 hours ago
8 hours ago
9 hours ago
13 hours ago
  • 6 hours ago

    Scientist made shock admission ahead of NASA mission to asteroid 'worth $10,000,000,000,000,000,000'

    It's not what most people want to hear

    Science
  • 8 hours ago

    Ozempic users share shocking ‘Ozempic sex’ side effect that not many people know about

    It's not just your wasitline that could be shrinking

    Science
  • 9 hours ago

    Solar panels illegal in 49 states could transform energy for the USA

    A YouTuber showed how the solar panels can be plugged into a home outlet

    Science
  • 13 hours ago

    How to set up emergency weather warnings on Android and iPhone following tragic Texas floods

    This comes after a tense questioning of the county sheriff about emergency alerts

    Science
  • We'll soon be able to witness 'one of the rarest space events of our lives'
  • Earth may witness a once-in-5,000-year event on the moon and it's coming sooner than you think
  • Universe has 'self-destruct button' that could wipe out everything and humanity won't see it coming
  • Space Force shares mind-blowing image from top secret space plane for the first time in history