'Doomsday' Averted? Speeding Asteroid RN16 FAILS To Hit Earth! Is Apophis The Next Big Threat?
Asteroid 2024 RN16: NASA reported on September 14, 2024, that asteroid 2024 RN16 passed close to the Earth. The asteroid which measured about 110 feet in diameter, was one of those asteroids whose impact could have been instrumental in disturbing Earth. If it had collided with our planet, then it would have detonated about 29 kilometers from the surface of Earth, releasing an amount of energy equivalent to that of 16 megatons of TNT. However, there wouldn't have been any direct surface damage due to that explosion.
Public Reaction
Thankfully, the asteroid 2024 RN16 just passed Earth. Even though there wasn't any destruction, many netizens have shown their 'disappointment' on social media apps like Instagram, X, and Reddit.
The users joked about being back to their everyday activities. They wrote, "Time to head back to work and classes." A much-documented meme on X on MS Dhoni has caught the eyeballs as one user commented 'thala for a reason.'
Thala defended the asteroid and saved earth 🙇🏻♀️ pic.twitter.com/eIhojBB5nf
— Honest Dhoni Fan💛💛 (@WhistlePoduCsk7) September 15, 2024
ISRO Issues Alert For Asteroid Apophis
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is also vigilantly monitoring similar events to take place in the future. Asteroid Apophis is anticipated to approach Earth closely on April 13, 2029. Named after the Egyptian deity of Chaos, Apophis is estimated to be larger than India's INS Vikramaditya and the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad.
As reported by NDTV, ISRO Chairman Dr. S Somanath stated that A large asteroid collision poses a genuine existential threat to humanity. "ISRO is on high alert and Network for Space Objects Tracking and Analysis (NETRA) is tracking the asteroid Apophis closely. India will collaborate with other countries to counter it and future threats."
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