Apophis WILL AN ASTEROID HIT EARTH IN 2029?
THOUGH IT WON’T HIT OUR PLANET FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER CENTURY, APOPHIS’ SCIENTIFIC IMPACT IS TREMENDOUS Reported by Robert Lea © Getty On Friday 13 April 2029, Earth will experience a dramatic close encounter with 99942 Apophis, with the 335-metre (1,100-foot) asteroid passing within 31,000 kilometres (19,000 miles) of our home planet, bringing it closer than most geostationary satellites. Thanks to Apophis’ tremendous size, this close passage will be so bright that around 2 billion people will be able to witness it with the naked eye. First becoming visible in the Southern Hemisphere, the asteroid will resemble a speck of light as it streaks from east to west, initially passing over Australia, traversing the Indian Ocean and eventually crossing the equator over…