Only a few days ago, NASA launched a mission to investigate the 'God of Chaos' asteroid that's hurtling towards Earth.
NASA has pinpointed the date for the asteroid's close encounter with Earth as April 13, 2029. And ominously so, that date also happens to fall on a Friday.
Despite NASA scientists reassuring that the asteroid won't collide with Earth 'during this encounter or the foreseeable future,' that doesn't stop the internet from creating a terrifying 'what if' scenario.
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A YouTube Short shows a hypothetical impact of the 340-metre wide asteroid - formerly titled Apophis - on our planet Earth. This one's for you Armageddon lovers.
The video explains that the kinetic energy from the asteroid's impact would be equivalent to 1,000 megatons of TNT.
Ironically, the video states that the asteroid 'does not pose a threat to humanity as a whole,' but it would 'easily cause billions of deaths' along with 'months, if not years, of climate disruption.'
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If that's not a threat, what is?
NASA clarifies that the asteroid is not meant to make any contact with Earth, instead, it's expected to pass by at a distance of 20,000 miles.
This is reported to be as close as some of Earth's satellites and is likely to be visible to the naked eye in the Eastern Hemisphere.
Regardless, the video suggests that 'there is always a risk,' leaving humanity in a dilemma of whether knowing about the impact is better than remaining in blissful ignorance.
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The viral short has sparked a wave of fear amongst viewers.
One commented: 'NASA's DART mission gives me the assurance that they know there is definitely something headed towards us.'
Another viewer compared the impact to that of a nuclear bomb, arguing: 'That's 20 times more powerful than the yield of the largest nuclear bomb ever detonated, by the way.'
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Whilst, another viewer cynically wrote: 'Universe has its plan. There is nothing we can do if we are in the rock's way.'
The mission’s project scientist based at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Amy Simon, said: 'OSIRIS-APEX will study Apophis immediately after such a pass, allowing us to see how its surface changes by interacting with Earth’s gravity.'
NASA's OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft is currently launching out to Apophus in a race against time. The scientists are hoping to use the spacecraft's 'imagers, spectrometers, and laser altimeter' to analyse its chemical makeup' and determine the cause of its impending journey towards Earth.
In the lucky case that NASA is correct and humanity is alive to witness the event, it will be the first in 7,500 years.