'God of chaos' asteroid to pass close to Earth in 2029
AL.com • • science
Key Points:
- Asteroid 99942 Apophis is expected to safely pass about 20,000 miles from Earth on April 13, 2029, which is nearly 12 times closer than the moon's average distance and closer than many geosynchronous satellites.
- The close approach will be visible to observers in the Eastern Hemisphere without the need for telescopes or binoculars, marking one of the closest recorded flybys for an object of its size.
- NASA and the European Space Agency are planning spacecraft missions to study Apophis shortly after its 2029 flyby, enhancing understanding of the asteroid.
- Since its discovery in 2004, Apophis was considered potentially hazardous, but ongoing observations have confirmed there is no risk of impact with Earth for at least 100 years.
- Apophis is a 4.6-billion-year-old asteroid with an estimated diameter of about 1,115 feet, and while Earth's gravity may slightly alter its orbit during the 2029 pass, the impact risk remains unchanged.
