NASA can't wait for its OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft to meet 'God of Chaos' asteroid Apophis in 2029

[Admin]

'God of Chaos' asteroid Apophis will make a flyby like no other in recorded history in 2029 as it becomes visible with the naked eye, and NASA's OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft will be on hand to supervise.

NASA can't wait for its OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft to meet 'God of Chaos' asteroid Apophis in 2029 : Read more

 

[Unclear Engineer]

I found this for locations where it will be visible as it passes https://www.space.com/nasa-asteroid-apophis-approach-earth .

Is there something more specific about time and direction for specific places on Earth?

And, since it is scheduled to fly-by on Friday the 13th, in April 2029, I am already imaging the tin foil hat sales will skyrocket in early 2029. (Probably not a good investment opportunity, though.)

 

[Unclear Engineer]

Bill Slugg posted :
"NASA says it will be visible in the Eastern Hemisphere, from Eastern Europe all the way over to Australia." I can see that in my e-mail, but it doesn't show up here. So, maybe it has been deleted.

Anyway, that doesn't seem to match the video in the link that I posted, which shows a red track (with a gray section for closest approach) that goes farther west - over the Atlantic and the U.S. eastern coastal areas in darkness, but then gets into daylight as it goes farther westward.

It would be nice to have something like the maps currently being produced for the next total solar eclipse that shows the path of the shadow as a function of time, with specified % of totality off to the side.

Yes, there is no shadow from Apophis - it would be different parameters on the map. Probably something like time of maximum angle above the horizon and what that angle is, as a function of position on the map.

 

[billslugg]

So typical of SDC, they tout a video and then give you three black boxes, none of which are labelled, some of which turn out to be videos, none tell you how long you have to sit there and waste your life waiting, some have two ads in sequence, none tell you what it is you are waiting for. Some just end with nothing following. Some repeat the same ad. I gave up. I'll wait for the newspaper article in 2029, it will be straightforward.

 

[Unclear Engineer]

By 2029, there probably won't be any newspapers left.

When I click on the link I provided in my post, I get a Space.com web article with 3 graphics boxes, the second of which is the video I am referring to. I first appears with the graphic from the video, but if you don't click on it fast enough, it becomes a black box. When I do click on it, I get one ad and then the video.

 

[billslugg]

WHAT! No more day old news written in carcinogenic ink on ground up trees and thrown into my bushes?

What happens is, the second square needs some time to load, I look at it for two or three seconds, don't see any label, see no progress being made, tab down a bit. As soon as it is up off the screen, it reappears in miniature at the lower right side of the screen amidst the advertisements where it goes unnoticed. In their attempt to bully you into watching it, they put it out in the trash where it goes unseen.

I did watch it, and it is not clear if we can see it or not from the Eastern US. It seems to be right at sunset for us and is low in the eastern sky. I also can't tell if it is in sunlight or not.