2009 PQ1 asteroid approaching Earth in August poses no threat – scientist – Science and space



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MOSCOW, July 28. / TAX /. The 2009 asteroid PQ1, which will fly over Earth in August 2020, will pose no threat to our planet, Russian Academy of Sciences vice president, astrophysicist Yuri Balega, told TASS on Tuesday.

“Asteroid 2009 PQ1 will approach Earth this August and, by all calculations, will not be dangerous for the planet. Asteroid Apophis will approach Earth in April 2029 at such a close distance that it can be seen with the naked eye. But that Even the asteroid won’t pose a threat, “he said, adding however that if it enters Earth’s gravitational trap in 2029, it will have a better chance of ramming our planet in 2036.

“His chances of colliding with Earth will depend on his flight beyond Earth in 2029, on whether he enters our planet’s gravity trap. But even then, his chances of hitting Earth are close to zero – about one. out of 100,000, “the scientist said, adding that colliding with such an asteroid would leave a crater three or five kilometers across and a plume of dust from the collision would hide sunlight for a long time.

At present, humanity has no tools to avoid a collision with a celestial object, Balega said, adding that scientists are thinking about how to do this. “There are many different ideas on how to change the trajectory of an asteroid, from a solar photon sail to a point explosion,” he noted.

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