Asteroid 99942 Apophis

Artist's impression of the asteroid 99942 Apophis.

On 13 April 2029, Apophis will pass less than 32 000 km from Earth’s surface. Roughly 375 m across on average, Apophis will, for a short time, be closer to Earth than telecommunications satellites in geostationary orbit and will be visible in the night sky to the naked eye from much of Europe, Africa and Asia.

When Apophis was discovered in 2004, the initial observations indicated a small chance that it could impact Earth in 2029, 2036 or 2068. A collision would have been devastating, and so the asteroid was named after the Egyptian god of chaos and destruction.

Later observations ruled out any chance of impact for at least the next 100 years.

Nevertheless, the close approach of Apophis in 2029 represents a unique scientific and public outreach opportunity. Space agencies and scientific institutes around the world are planning to use the flyby to explore Apophis from the ground using telescopes and up-close using spacecraft.