Asteroid Apophis and Its April 13, 2029 Close Pass: What NASA Says About Distance, Safety and Seeing It
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How we wrote this: A summary of NASA's Apophis pages ("Apophis," "Apophis Facts" and "Apophis Exploration") and NASA's announcement that Earth is safe from Apophis for 100-plus years, checked October 29, 2026. Viewing details for 2029 will be refined closer to the date; we'll only add exact times once NASA or another official source publishes them.
When asteroid Apophis was discovered in 2004, early calculations suggested it might hit Earth in 2029, 2036 or 2068. Two decades of tracking later, NASA's message is the opposite: no risk of impact for at least 100 years, and instead a rare chance to watch a large asteroid sweep past Earth up close on April 13, 2029.
The 2029 flyby in numbers
From NASA's Apophis facts:
| NASA figure | |
|---|---|
| Date of close approach | April 13, 2029 |
| Distance from Earth's surface | About 20,000 miles (32,000 km) |
| For comparison | Closer than many geosynchronous satellites (about 22,236 miles, or 36,000 km, up) |
| Mean diameter | About 1,115 feet (340 meters) |
| Long axis | At least 1,480 feet (450 meters) |
NASA calls it the closest approach to Earth by an asteroid of this size that scientists have known about in advance, and says an asteroid this large passes this close only every few thousand years on average, so it's likely nothing like it has happened in recorded human history.
Is it dangerous?
No. NASA says there is no danger to Earth, to anyone or anything living on it, or to astronauts or satellites in space. NASA still classifies Apophis as a "potentially hazardous asteroid," but says that after years of optical and radar observations it is confident there's no risk of Apophis hitting Earth for at least 100 years.
Can you see it?
NASA says Apophis will be visible to observers on the ground in the Eastern Hemisphere, weather permitting, without a telescope or even binoculars. NASA also notes that in the hours after the encounter, Apophis will appear too close to the Sun in the sky for ground-based optical telescopes, which is one reason the spacecraft matter.
If you want to practice finding faint moving objects in the meantime, our guide to spotting the International Space Station uses the same skills, and our binocular stargazing guide covers the basics.
What Earth's gravity will do to Apophis
The flyby matters to scientists because Earth's gravity will pull, twist, stretch and squeeze Apophis. NASA expects:
- A new orbit. Apophis now circles the Sun in about 0.9 years and belongs to the "Aten" group of Earth-crossing asteroids. After 2029 its orbit will be slightly larger than Earth's, about 1.2 years, moving it into the "Apollo" group.
- A change in spin. It currently tumbles end over end about once every 31 hours, with a slower rocking motion of about 264 hours. The encounter will very probably speed up or slow down its spin and change its orientation.
- Possible small landslides on steep slopes, depending on the asteroid's internal structure.
The spacecraft going to meet it
- NASA's OSIRIS-APEX. The spacecraft that returned a sample of asteroid Bennu in September 2023 (OSIRIS-REx) was renamed OSIRIS-APophis EXplorer. NASA says it will pass Earth about an hour behind Apophis, then arrive at the asteroid in June for an 18-month campaign to map its surface and analyze its makeup. It won't collect a sample, but it may fire its thrusters near the surface to stir up rocks and dust.
- ESA's Ramses (Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety). NASA's page says the plan is to launch in April 2028 and arrive in February 2029, two months before the close approach, then accompany Apophis through the flyby.
Telescopes and radar on the ground will track its path and changing brightness.
What Apophis is
NASA describes Apophis as a relic of the early solar system, about 4.6 billion years old, that started in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter before gravity, mainly from Jupiter, nudged it into a near-Earth orbit. It's an S-type (stony) asteroid of silicate rock mixed with nickel and iron, and radar suggests an elongated, possibly two-lobed, peanut-like shape.
It was discovered on June 19, 2004, at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Arizona, first designated 2004 MN4, and is now officially asteroid 99942. The name, approved by the International Astronomical Union in 2005, is the Greek name for Apep, whom NASA describes as the ancient Egyptian god of evil and destruction.
For other sky events on the calendar before then, see our guides to the total solar eclipse of August 2, 2027 and lunar eclipses in 2027.