UC3M is taking part in the study that analyses the physical characteristics of Apophis, an asteroid that is expected to reach the Earth in 2029.

The research team responsible for this study, involving the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) and the Universidad Estatal Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho (UNESP) in Brazil, analysed both the physical aspects of the asteroid and the factors that may influence its path and angle of inclination.

The asteroid Apophis, which was discovered in 2004 and classified as a potentially dangerous asteroid, will not actually hit the Earth, but will approach it on 13 April 2029.

Gabriel Borderes-Motta, a researcher in the Department of Bioengineering and Aerospace Engineering at UC3M, explains that this study focuses on the possible consequences of this asteroid approaching Earth (what could happen to the possible rocks on the asteroid’s surface and in its orbit).

The study highlights the different impacts of this approach as a function of the asteroid’s inclination angle and the minimal influence this could have on tides or other aspects closer to us.

Details of his interview here