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An illustration shows NASA’s OSRIS-APEX spacecraft as it watches the asteroid Apophis zoom past Earth in April 2029. | Credit: Robert Lea\/NASA<\/p>\n
An asteroid once thought to pose a threat to Earth may be visible to the naked eye for up to two billion people when it safely whizzes past our planet in 2029.<\/p>\n
“Apophis<\/a> is a large, 340-meter asteroid<\/a> that will pass safely past the Earth closer than geosynchronous satellites<\/a> on April 13, 2029, which happens to be a Friday, because nature has a sense of humor,” said Richard Binzel, a professor of planetary sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), in a keynote lecture at the EPSC-DPS<\/a> Joint Meeting 2025 in Helsinki on Sept. 8.<\/p>\n Despite being classified as a potentially hazardous asteroid<\/a>, there is no danger posed to Earth<\/a> by Apophis, only opportunities, as it will pass us at a distance of 5.9 Earth radii during the April 2029 flyby<\/a>. Binzel said that the precision of Apophis’ calculated orbital path is due to extensive astrometry and radar ranging over 20 years.<\/p>\n A close approach to Earth by an asteroid the size of Apophis \u2014 which takes its name from the ancient Egyptian deity of chaos and darkness \u2014 is extremely rare, occurring just once every 7,500 years on average, according to Binzel. And this exceptional close encounter offers a unique opportunity for both planetary science and planetary defense<\/a>.<\/p>\n The coming flyby allows the chance for spacecraft to get up close and observe how interactions with Earth’s gravitational field and magnetosphere influences and changes Apophis, boosting our understanding of asteroid physics. Measuring the properties of asteroids is also crucial for planetary defense capabilities, which agencies across the world are developing.<\/p>\n “I think it’s an equation: Planetary defense equals applied planetary science,” said Binzel.<\/p>\n “This will be on the final exam,” he quipped. “The final exam is in 2029. We have to study and prepare now for the final exam in 2029.”<\/p>\n Planned missions to study the asteroid with before-and-after observations and flybys include Europe’s RAMSES mission<\/a> \u2014 based on the Hera spacecraft to follow up on NASA’s 2022 DART mission impact<\/a> \u2014 Japan’s DESTINY+, both of which are expected to launch in 2028, and NASA’s OSIRIS-APEX<\/a>, which is already en route for a flyby after its sampling mission of asteroid Bennu<\/a>. (OSIRIS-APEX’s future is in doubt, however; it’s one of the 41 projects slated to be canceled<\/a> if President Donald Trump’s 2026 NASA budget request is enacted.)<\/p>\n Related Stories:<\/p>\n \u2014 Apophis: The infamous asteroid we thought might hit us<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 ‘God of Destruction’ asteroid Apophis will come to Earth in 2029 \u2014 and it could meet some tiny spacecraft<\/a><\/p>\n