A 340-Meter Asteroid Is About to Enter Earth’s Satellite Zone
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On April 13, 2029, asteroid Apophis will make one of the closest predicted asteroid flybys of Earth ever observed for an object of its size. The roughly 340-meter-wide asteroid will pass only about 32,000 kilometers above Earth’s surface — closer than the altitude of geostationary satellites. Asteroid 99942 Apophis was once considered a potential threat to Earth, but NASA has now ruled out an impact for at least the next century. Yet the Apophis 2029 flyby may be even more scientifically fascinating than the original impact story. As Apophis passes Earth, our planet’s gravity will dramatically alter its orbit, may change its rotation, and could even cause rocks and loose material to move across its surface. NASA’s OSIRIS-APEX mission and ESA’s Ramses mission are preparing to study Apophis around this extraordinary encounter, giving scientists the opportunity to see how a close planetary flyby can physically change an asteroid. In this video, we explore how close Apophis will come to Ea
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