Safe... For Now: Doomsday Asteroid Apophis to Approach Earth for Last Time Before 2029

 

According to some researchers, the monstrous space rock has a slight chance of hitting our planet in 2068, bringing with it massive damage.

Asteroid 99942, known as Apophis, will fly by Earth on 6 March at a distance of 0.11 astronomical units (around 16 million kilometres or 10 million miles), which means that the celestial body may be seen from Earth by people using telescopes.

"This is our last chance to study the space rock before it returns for a sensational naked-eye plunge through the geosynchronous satellite belt in April 2029", the American service SpaceWeather said.

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Model of the expected close approach of 99942 Apophis (previously better known by its provisional designation 2004 MN4) to the Earth and Moon on April 13, 2029.

The 370-metre wide space rock previously evoked major concerns, as it will be approaching Earth in 2068. Initially, scientists from the University of Hawaii said there is a one in 530,000 chance the asteroid could hit our planet, but this year they corrected the forecast, raising the collision chances to one in 380,000.