Apophis 99942 is a two-mile-wide near-Earth orbit space rock that continues to pose a destructive threat. Initial observations from NASA in 2004 revealed a probability of 2.7 per cent that it could strike Earth in 2029. The space agency has since ruled out that date, revealing in February 2013 there is instead a 150,000/1 chance of a direct impact with Earth in 2068.
However, Jay Melosh, an American geophysicist, has urged the public not to fear as he has a genius way of saving the planet, should an asteroid be on a collision course.
He revealed during Amazon Prime’s “Asteroid Trackers” series how NASA could knock the space rock off course.
He said in 2009: “In space, we would use a mirror like a magnifying glass.
“As we hit the asteroid, we begin to vaporise material and, as it vaporises, the asteroid gets pushed the