What is Apophis? Giant asteroid is 3 years from Earth approach
USA Today • • science
Key Points:
- The giant asteroid Apophis, about a quarter-mile long and roughly the size of five NFL football fields, will make an unprecedentedly close approach to Earth on April 13, 2029, passing just 20,000 miles away—closer than many geosynchronous satellites.
- Scientists have ruled out any risk of Apophis impacting Earth for at least the next century, alleviating earlier concerns from its 2004 discovery when it was initially thought to have a non-zero chance of collision in 2029 or 2036.
- During its 2029 flyby, Apophis will be visible to the naked eye in the Eastern Hemisphere, appearing as a bright star moving across the sky, providing a rare opportunity for both public observation and scientific study.
- NASA and the European Space Agency plan to send uncrewed spacecraft to study Apophis during its close approach, with NASA’s OSIRIS-APEX mission arriving in June 2029 for an 18-month campaign to analyze the asteroid’s surface and material.
- The asteroid’s close approach offers valuable insight into planetary defense, building on recent successes such as NASA’s DART mission, which demonstrated the ability to alter an asteroid’s trajectory to prevent potential future impacts.
