Asteroid Apophis to pass Earth in 2029 with no impact risk, NASA says
Fox News • • science
Key Points:
- The asteroid Apophis, roughly the size of the Eiffel Tower, will pass about 20,000 miles from Earth on April 13, 2029, closer than many satellites, but NASA confirms there is no risk of impact for at least 100 years.
- Discovered in 2004, Apophis was initially considered a potential impact threat in 2029, 2036, or 2068, but ongoing observations have refined its orbit, eliminating immediate danger.
- NASA and ESA plan to study Apophis extensively during its close approach, with NASA redirecting the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft—renamed OSIRIS-APEX—to rendezvous with the asteroid after its 2029 flyby.
- Apophis is composed of primitive material not part of a planet or moon, and it is expected to be visible to observers in the Eastern Hemisphere without optical aids, weather permitting.
