Scientists have officially confirmed the date when a once-in-a-millennium asteroid, comparable in size to the Eiffel Tower, will make its dramatic approach past Earth. The rare planetary event, already generating global excitement, will be visible to billions without the need for telescopes or advanced equipment.
Asteroid Apophis, measuring nearly 340 meters in diameter, is expected to glide past Earth on April 13, 2029. Under clear skies, it will appear as a faint moving star, offering a breathtaking spectacle visible to more than two billion people across Africa and Western Europe.
Richard Binzel, a professor of planetary sciences at MIT, described the event at the Europlanet Science Congress in Finland as “the first time in space history that a potentially hazardous asteroid is visible to the naked eye.” Despite its imposing size, Binzel reassured the public that Apophis will safely pass Earth.
Astronomers highlight the rarity of such an occurrence, estimating that a close approach by an asteroid of this scale happens only once every 7,500 years. This makes the 2029 flyby a truly once-in-a-lifetime moment for scientists and stargazers alike.
Beyond the spectacle, researchers view the event as an opportunity for groundbreaking experiments. Scientists intend to study how Earth’s gravitational pull may reshape Apophis during its pass, providing valuable insights into the behavior of near-Earth objects. “We don’t know. And we won’t know until we look,” Binzel explained.
Apophis, discovered in 2004 and named after the Egyptian god of chaos, initially raised alarm when early calculations suggested a 2.7 percent chance of impact. This placed it at Level 4 on the Torino Scale, the highest risk level ever assigned to a near-Earth object. By 2021, however, continuous monitoring led scientists to remove Apophis from all risk lists.
While a study last year noted a minuscule chance that another asteroid could alter its trajectory, the odds remain at less than one in a billion. Astronomers are confident that Apophis poses no threat for at least the next century.
For billions of people, April 2029 will not only bring an extraordinary astronomical sight but also serve as a reminder of how far science has advanced in tracking and understanding celestial bodies.
