Apophis flyby in 2029 will be the first time a potentially hazardous asteroid has been visible to the naked eye
SMRTR summary
A glowing dot will streak across African and Western European skies in 2029, visible to more than 2 billion people without telescopes or special equipment. This isn't a meteor or satellite – it's Apophis, a 1,100-foot asteroid making history's closest approach by an object its size.
"The first time in space history that a potentially hazardous asteroid is visible to the naked eye," explains Richard Binzel, MIT planetary sciences professor who pioneered asteroid hazard research.
When discovered in 2004, Apophis caused brief alarm with a 2.7% impact probability – the highest rating ever assigned to a near-Earth object. Two decades of observations have eliminated these concerns.
"Apophis will safely pass the Earth – absolutely no doubt," Binzel emphasizes, repeating the assurance three times during his recent presentation in Helsinki.
Though Earth won't notice the flyby, Apophis will be fundamentally changed. Scientists are preparing to witness this cosmic encounter with two planned missions – NASA's OSIRIS-APEX and possibly the European Space Agency's RAMSES.
The asteroid will pass just 18,600 miles above Earth's surface – closer than many satellites – offering scientists a rare natural experiment to study how Earth's gravity reshapes a massive space rock.
SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Live Science.
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