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99942 Apophis (provisional designation 2004 MN 4) is a near-Earth asteroid and a potentially hazardous object, 450 metres (1,480 ft) by 170 metres (560 ft) in size, [3] that caused a brief period of concern in December 2004 when initial observations indicated a probability of 2.7% that it would hit Earth on Friday, April 13, 2029.
On Friday the 13th (yes, really) of April 2029, Earth will avoid an apocalyptic event by an astronomical hair’s breadth as the asteroid Apophis, streaks by. It will come closer to Earth than the ...
The NASA spacecraft OSIRIS-APEX hovers over the surface of the near-Earth asteroid Apophis, using its thrusters to disturb the asteroid's surface to reveal what lies beneath, as shown in an ...
A menacing asteroid named Apophis is projected to have a close encounter with Earth in 2029, but scientists have long ruled it out as an impact risk. Asteroids safely fly by Earth all the time ...
Apophis will make an extremely close pass to the Earth on 13 April 2029, although there is no chance for an impact during this or any subsequent flybys in the near future. Observations of Apophis will commence on 8 April 2029, and a few days later, on 21 April, OSIRIS-APEX is planned to rendezvous with the asteroid. [90]
In the case of Apophis, further observations eventually allowed astronomers in 2021 to rule out the possibility of an impact when the asteroid makes a close flyby to Earth in 2029 and again in 2036.
The first near-Earth asteroid known to have passed Earth closer than the distance of the Moon was 1991 BA, a 5–10 m (16–33 ft) body which passed at a distance of 170,000 km (110,000 mi). [45] As NEA surveys were enhanced, at least one such object was observed each year from 2001, at least a dozen from 2005, and over a hundred from 2020.
Apophis is of interest because it’s an S-type, or stony, asteroid — different from other space rocks visited by NASA missions, including Bennu, which is a C-type, or carbonaceous, asteroid.