Astronomers have issued an interesting update for skygazers: a rare asteroid will soon be visible to the naked eye. Asteroid 99942 Apophis, named after the Egyptian deity of chaos, darkness and fire, is expected to pass safely close to Earth on April 13, 2029.
Asteroid Apophis is expected to pass within 20,000 miles of Earth, which is twelve times closer than the moon and closer than many geosynchronous satellites. The event will be visible to the naked eye to observers in the Eastern Hemisphere, provided weather conditions are clear. NASA characterizes this as one of the closest approaches ever recorded to an object of this size.
Despite early fears after its discovery in 2004, NASA is now confident that Apophis is not at risk of hitting Earth in the next hundred years. Earth’s gravity may slightly alter the asteroid’s path or orbital period during flight, but does not increase the risk of a future collision.
Space organizations seize the opportunity to study the relic; NASA had diverted a spacecraft for a rendezvous, and the ESA is sending its own mission to study it. Apophis is a 4.6 billion year old remnant from the early solar system, made from leftover material that never formed into a planet.
It has an average diameter of about 1,115 feet, with the longest axis reaching at least 1,480 feet. Named after the Egyptian god of chaos, it was discovered in 2004 by astronomers at the Kitt Peak National Observatory. After the 2029 flight, it will officially join the Apollo group of Earth-crossing asteroids.
