Large Asteroid Heading Towards Earth: ISRO Warns of “Worst Case Scenario”

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is actively monitoring Apophis, a huge asteroid that is projected to pass very close to Earth on April 13, 2029. Apophis, named after the Egyptian god of chaos, is a huge concern because to its size and trajectory. In response, ISRO has expanded its portfolio to include a new domain dubbed planetary defense, which is responsible for protecting Earth from alien objects.

“A large asteroid strike poses a real existential threat to humanity.” ISRO is well aware of the threat, and our NETRA (Network for Space Objects Tracking and Analysis) is actively watching Apophis. “After all, we only have one Earth to live on,” said an ISRO spokesperson.

Apophis’s periodic close encounters with Earth were discovered in 2004 and are constantly tracked. The planned encounter in 2029, followed by another in 2036, has sparked concerns about its potential consequences. However, some studies imply that the event in 2029 will be a flyby rather than a collision.

The fact that India’s geostationary satellites orbit higher than Apophis’ estimated close approach distance indicates how close the collision will be. At 32,000 kilometers above Earth, no other asteroid of its size has ever approached our planet.

Apophis, with an estimated diameter of about 340 to 450 meters, is larger than India’s largest aircraft carrier, INS Vikramaditya, and the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Any planetary body over 140 meters in diameter passing close to Earth is considered potentially hazardous, capable of causing “continental scale devastation.”