I-asteroid Apophis bekuyisihloko esithakaselwa kakhulu nesikhathazayo kusukela ekutholweni kwayo ngo-2004. Ekuqaleni ibhekwa njengengozi engenzeka eMhlabeni, umkhondo wayo ubuqashwe ngokugcwele izazi zezinkanyezi emhlabeni jikelele. Indlela yayo ngo-2029 izoba umcimbi oyingqayizivele wezinkanyezi, okhiqiza kokubili okulindelekile kanye nezifundo zesayensi ukuze uziqonde kangcono lezi zindikimba zasemkhathini.
Nakuba izibalo ziye zakhipha, okungenani okwamanje, umthelela ngeplanethi yethu, ukusondela okumangalisayo lapho izodlula khona kusinika ithuba elingenakuqhathaniswa lokuyifunda. Ngezansi, sizohlola ngokuningiliziwe izici zayo, umkhondo wayo, ubungozi obake bacatshangelwa, kanye nemishini yasemkhathini ehlelelwe ukuyihlaziya.
Izici ze-asteroid Apophis
U-Apophis, ogama lakhe elisemthethweni lingu-99942 Apophis, iyinkanyezi esemkhathini eyingxenye yeqembu le-Aton, okuyilabo okuzungeza kwabo ikakhulukazi ngaphakathi komjikelezo woMhlaba. Kulinganiselwa ukulinganisa nxazonke Amamitha ayi-335 ububanzi, okuyenza ibe yinto enkulu kakhulu phakathi kwama-asteroids aseduze-Earth.
Ukwakheka kwayo ikakhulukazi kwakhiwe ama-silicates, i-nickel nensimbi, okuyihlukanisa phakathi kweqembu lama-asteroids ohlobo enamatshe. Ekuqaleni kwakucatshangwa ukuthi yinde, efana ne-peanut, futhi ingaphezulu layo kucatshangwa ukuthi lakhiwe ngamatshe axegayo ngenxa yamandla ayo adonsela phansi aphansi.
Ngokuqondene ne-orbit yayo, i-Apophis ithatha cishe Iminyaka engu-0,9 yomhlaba ukuqedela ukuzungeza okukodwa kokuzungeza iLanga. Kodwa-ke, i-trajectory yayo izoshintshwa ngemuva kokudlula kwayo eduze kuka-Earth ngo-2029, okwandisa isikhathi sayo sokuzungeza. iminyaka 1,2.
I-trajectory nendlela yayo yokufika eMhlabeni ngo-2029
Umcimbi omkhulu wezinkanyezi ohlobene ne-Apophis uzokwenzeka Ephreli 13, 2029, lapho izosondela kakhulu eMhlabeni. Ngaleso sikhathi, kuyoba ubulungisa 32.000 amakhilomitha ukusuka ebusweni boMhlaba, ibanga elifushane kunalelo lamasathelayithi amaningi e-geostationary.
Lokhu kudlula okuseduze kuzovumela i-asteroid ukuthi ibonwe ngeso lenyama kusuka ezindaweni ezihlukahlukene zeplanethi, ikakhulukazi eYurophu, e-Afrika nase-Asia. Ukukhanya kwayo kuzofana nokwenkanyezi engu-3,3 magnitude futhi izohamba esibhakabhakeni ebusuku ngesivinini km 45.080 / h. Lo mcimbi uzobe ubalulekile ocwaningweni lwe-asteroid, njengoba kwakunjalo isexwayiso sokuphepha kweplanethi maqondana namanye ama-asteroid angamelela ingozi eMhlabeni.
Amandla adonsela phansi omhlaba ayothinta ngokuphawulekayo ukuzungeza kwawo, aguqule indlela yawo yesikhathi esizayo. Nakuba izibalo zamanje zikhipha umthelela woMhlaba emashumini eminyaka ezayo, izazi zezinkanyezi ziyaqhubeka nokufunda ukuthi amandla adonsela phansi eMhlabeni angayishintsha kanjani indlela yawo nokuthi lokhu kungase kubonise noma iyiphi ingozi esikhathini esizayo.
Ingabe ikhona ingozi yokuba nomthelela ngo-2036 noma ngo-2068?
Ekuqaleni, izibalo zabonisa amathuba okuba nomthelela we 2,7% ku-2029, okwaphakamisa ukukhathazeka emphakathini wesayensi. Kodwa-ke, ukubhekwa okunembe kakhudlwana kuye kwayikhipha ngokuphelele le ngozi kule dethi.
Ngokuqondene no-2036 no-2068, amathuba okuba nomthelela anciphe kakhulu. Ekuhloleni kwayo kwakamuva ngo-2021, i-NASA yaqinisekisa ukuthi i-Apophis alubeki usongo lwangempela eMhlabeni eminyakeni eyikhulu ezayo. Lokhu kuyimpumuzo yomphakathi wesayensi nezakhamuzi ezikhathalela ukuphepha kweplanethi.
Imishini yasemkhathini yocwaningo lwe-asteroid
Indlela engajwayelekile ye-Apophis ku-Earth ishukumise i-ejensi yasemkhathini eminingana ukuthi ihlele ama-mission ukuze iwufunde kabanzi. Lokhu kubandakanya:
- I-OSIRIS-APEX:Lo mkhumbi-mkhathi we-NASA, phambilini owawuwaziwa ngokuthi i-OSIRIS-REx, uqondiswe kabusha ngemva kohambo lwawo oluya e-Bennu ukuze usondele e-Apophis. Kulindeleke ukuthi izungezise yona Izinyanga ze-18 ngemva kokusondela kwayo kakhulu ngo-2029, ihlinzeka ngolwazi olubalulekile ngokwakheka kwayo nokubunjwa kwayo.
- Ramses:I-European Space Agency icabanga ukwethula umkhankaso we-RAMSES ngo-2027, owawuzofika e-Apophis ngaphambi kokusondela eMhlabeni ukuze uhlaziye ukuthi ubuso bawo buziphatha kanjani ngaphansi kwethonya lamandla adonsela phansi oMhlaba.
Ukubaluleka kokufunda i-Apophis
Ucwaningo lwe-Apophis luzovumela izazi zezinkanyezi ukuthi ziqonde kangcono i-physics ye-Near-Earth asteroids, ukuthi zisabela kanjani amandla adonsela phansi amaplanethi nokuthi umthelela onjalo ungaba namuphi umphumela emhlabeni wethu. Lolu hlobo locwaningo lubalulekile kumongo lapho sihlala sihlola ukuphepha koMhlaba ngokumelene nezinsongo ezingase zibe khona emkhathini.
Lolu hlobo locwaningo lubalulekile ekuthuthukisweni kwamasu ukuzivikela kweplanethi, njengoba uma isibhakabhaka esisendleleni yokungqubuzana bekuzobonakala esikhathini esizayo, ukuba nokwaziswa okunembayo kokuthi lezi zinkanyezi zisebenza kanjani kungase kusize ukuguqula umzila wazo.
El ukufunda ngosayizi nokuzungeza kwama-asteroids afana ne-Bennu Kubalulekile ukuqonda ubungozi obuhambisana nalo. Ephreli 13, 2029, kuzoba usuku olubalulekile lwesayensi yezinkanyezi kanye nombukwane izigidi zabantu ezizokwazi ukuwubuka ngamehlo enyama. Kusukela ngaleso sikhathi kuqhubeke, i-Apophis izoqhubeka ibe yinto yokufunda futhi izovumela isintu ukuthi sifunde okwengeziwe mayelana nezimfihlakalo zesimiso sonozungezilanga.
