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CI Times Weekly | Current Issue 439|23 March 2012

The asteroid Apophis-the angel of death?
There is good reason to be very worried about the asteroid Apophis which flies by us next year. Scientists will be watching this flyby very closely-why? Because when Apophis returns in the year 2029 on Black Friday, we will know for sure if when it returns just seven years later in 2036, it will hit the Earth. Is the asteroid Apophis the angel of the abyss predicted in the Bible’s Book of Revelation?

Discovered in 2004 and allocated the number 99942, the asteroid later named “Apophis,” has been the centre of attention by astronomers world -wide and also governments concerned about its arrival and close flyby of the Earth in the year 2029.
Also excited are the doomsday watchers and end of world preachers.
In 2013 Apophis will pass our planet at a distance of 14.4 million km. This will allow scientists to refine the trajectory for future close passes.
16 years later, when Apophis passes the Earth again on Friday 13 April 2029, it will only be some 18,300 miles away. That’s closer than our moon and many of the satellites orbiting the planet. From the earth it will appear as a very bright object passing by at great speed.
Scientists will be watching this fly by very closely and with fingers crossed because this fly by will determine whether or not on its next approach seven years later in 2036 it actually collides with our planet. A fly by as close as this only occurs about once in every 1,300 years.
Close to our planet, there is a gravitational area in space about 600 meters across known as a “keyhole.” If Apophis happens to enter this keyhole, then due to the influence of the Earth’s gravity, Apophis on its next approach, will almost certainly collide with the Earth.
This is the scary scenario predicted using sophisticated computer modeling based on observations of Apophis’s flight path.
The good news is Apophis is not big enough to be an “extinction” causing asteroid such as the one said to have ended the reign of the dinosaurs.
The bad news is Apophis may cause very serious damage and loss of life possibly in the tens of millions depending upon where it lands.
Its flight path has been predicted by computers to cross over Russia, the northern pacific, central America and landing in the Atlantic ocean off the coast of West Africa.
If Apophis lands on dry land it could destroy an area the size of the State of Texas. There would be serious implications arising from this. There would be many fires and the dust and ash thrown up could put the Earth into a state of semi-darkness for many months. If it lands in the Atlantic Ocean, it will cause giant tsunamis that will wipe out the coastal areas of the USA and West Africa. A prediction is the tsunami waves would range in height from 50 to 800 feet and come continuously for about an hour.
Experts say the chances of Apophis entering the keyhole are slim and other factors must be taken into account including the asteroid’s rotation, angle of approach, speed and interference from other objects in space.
Scientists are also said to be considering ways to divert the asteroid away including using nuclear explosives to push the asteroid off course.
Apophis is classified as a minor planet. This is the “Aten” class. However in 2029, it will move into a new class, “Apollo.”
Death Star?
Some doomsday watchers say Apophis is referred to in verse 9 of the Book of Revelation in the Bible, being the “star” which falls from the sky. Verse 9 says the “star” was given the “key” to the Abyss. Is this a reference to the key hole in space? The figure seven also features prominently in the Book of Revelation. Is this a reference to the seven years before the asteroid returns? The Book of Revelation also has a reference to this “star” being “Apollyon, the “angel of the Abyss.” When Apophis returns in 2029, its astronomy classification will change from “Aten” to “Apollo.”
Even the number 99942 has been queried. Is “42” a reference to Revelation verse 13:5? Is “999” a connection to 666 in Revelation 13:18? -Charles Pitt

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