Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentIndependentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleJasmine FernándezThursday 16 April 2026 02:39 BSTRelated:Moment Artemis II crew splashdown to earth after record breaking voyageAsteroid 99942 Apophis, named after an Egyptian god of chaos, is scheduled for a historic close flyby of Earth in 2029.The 1,115-foot-wide asteroid will pass within 20,000 miles of Earth, closer than geosynchronous satellites, on Friday, April 13.This rare event, occurring roughly once every few thousand years, will allow observers in the Eastern Hemisphere to see the asteroid without a telescope.NASA has confirmed that Apophis poses no collision threat to Earth for at least the next 100 years, despite initial concerns when discovered in 2004.Scientists are excited to study the asteroid's internal structure and physical properties, with NASA's OSIRIS-APEX and ESA's Ramses missions planned to rendezvous with it after the flyby.In fullAsteroid set to pass ‘close’ to Earth - but you have time to prepareThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in