OUTER SPACE As the dust of 2020 settles, we may find ourselves asking, what s next? While we never know what Jumanji has in store, one thing is sure: check Doomsday Asteroid off the list. Asteroid Apophis is going to be a cinch.
On Friday, an asteroid known by its threatening nickname Apophis will harmlessly fly within about 10 million miles of Earth. The near-Earth object, or NEO, will continue on its path around the sun, on a path which space.com said has been unnoticed by humans for millennia.
In eight years, though, we will have cause to take notice when Apophis and Earth again meet at their crossroads at just the right time. On Friday, April 13, 2029, Apophis will pass by Earth at an altitude of about 19,000 miles, NASA reported. That is 90% closer to Earth than our natural satellite, the Moon, and even closer than some of our artificial satellites, too, earthsky.org reported.