Zero chance of potential city-killer asteroid 'Apophis' smashing into Earth in 2029, new study confirms

Live Science ^ | published 1 day ago | Harry Baker

[BenLurkin]

Computer simulations reveal that the close flyby of Apophis, the "God of Chaos" asteroid, in 2029 still poses no risk to Earth, even when a worrying, previously unrecognized factor is taken into account.

There is almost zero chance that the infamous city-killer asteroid "Apophis" will hit Earth when it zips closely past our planet in 2029 — even when a previously unconsidered factor is taken into account, a new study shows.

Apophis is a peanut-shaped space rock spanning around 1,100 feet (340 meters) across that was left behind by the formation of the solar system around 4.6 billion years ago. The chunky space rock is not hefty enough to be considered a "planet killer" asteroid but is large enough to wipe out a large city. It is named after Apep, the Egyptian serpent god of darkness and disorder, which has earned the space rock the nickname "God of Chaos."

The "potentially hazardous" asteroid first made headlines around 20 years ago, when it was revealed the space rock would have an extremely close fly-by with Earth in 2029 and could potentially hit our planet. However, follow-up observations revealed that Apophis, which last made a close approach to Earth in 2021, will sail safely past our planet at a distance of around 23,200 miles (37,400 kilometers) — less than one-tenth the distance between Earth and the moon. The asteroid's current trajectory also suggests it is highly unlikely to pose a threat to Earth in the next few centuries.

[ealgeone]

Well, with today’s Pravda look out for 2029!