Asteroid 2004 MN4

Radar observations taken at the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico on January 27, 29, and 30, 2005 have significantly improved our estimate for the orbit of asteroid 2004 mn4 and changed the circumstances of the Earth’s close approach in 2029. On April 13, 2029, the predicted trajectory now passes within 5.7 Earth radii, 36,350 km, of the Earth’s center. That is just below the altitude of geosynchronous Earth satellites; however, an Earth collision in 2029 is still ruled out.

The asteroid 2004 mn4 is also called Apophis. With a size of 320 m and a mass of 2.1 x 10¹⁰ kg, Apophis could have lived up to its Egyptian name for Uncreator. It is thought that a strike by an object that size could destroy 10% to 25% of the life on Earth. Apophis’s orbit will take it past the Earth every seven years. Each orbit will com a fraction closer to this planet. It is possible for there to be an impact event if the asteroid 2004 mn4 were to be pulled closer by a gravitational keyhole.

Maybe Friday the 13th isn’t as unlucky a day as everyone thinks. Think about this: on April 13th, Friday the 13th, 2029, millions of people are going to go outside, look up and marvel at their good luck. A point of light will be gliding across the sky, faster than many satellites, brighter than most stars.
What’s so lucky about that? It’s asteroid 2004 mn4 … not hitting Earth. The asteroids orbits after that will be the subject of further study. Many astronomers fear that Apophis will steadily come closer to the Earth and eventually impact. The asteroid is about 320 meters wide. “That’s big enough to punch through Earth’s atmosphere,” devastating a region the size of, say, Texas, if it hit land, or causing widespread tsunamis if it hit an ocean.

The orbit and trajectory of asteroid 2004 mn4, also known as the 2029 meteor, will bend by about 28 degrees during its close encounter with the Earth in 2029. That makes an accurate prediction of its future path very hazy to say the least. Astronomers will be watching how things go very closely. A possible collision with the Earth can only be ruled out, with any authority, for the 2029 event. 2035 is still up in the air.

There are two very interesting pages on NASA.gov about the asteroid 2004 mn4. Here on Universe Today we have a page on the Torino scale score of Apophis and a detailed story about the asteroid 2004 mn4. Astronomy Cast has a great episode on death from above.

Reference:
NASA

Tagged as: 2029 event, 2035 event, Apophis, asteroid 2004 MN4