SCIENCE COUNTDOWNS / APOPHIS / EARTH CLOSE APPROACH
Apophis passes Earth safely
On April 13, 2029, a close encounter becomes a natural experiment in what Earth's gravity does to an asteroid.
Until the safe close-approach date begins
WHERE THE MISSION STANDS
The threshold ahead.
Apophis will pass unusually close to Earth, safely. NASA reports that tracking has ruled out an impact for at least the next hundred years. The 2029 encounter is scientifically valuable because Earth's gravity will alter the asteroid's path and may also change its rotation and surface.
A close pass lets researchers compare an asteroid before and after a known gravitational disturbance. Ground observations and spacecraft work can connect its response with its structure. OSIRIS-APEX, the spacecraft formerly known as OSIRIS-REx, is traveling to study Apophis after the encounter; its earlier Bennu sample return was a separate mission phase.
WHY THE SCIENCE MATTERS
Questions worth returning for.
How does the spin change?
Measure the asteroid's rotation before and after the encounter. A change in the pattern of light reflected as it turns can be compared with radar and spacecraft observations. The challenge is to connect the measured motion with a model of the object's shape and mass distribution.
Will loose material move?
Earth's tidal pull could disturb parts of the surface. Landslides or other changes remain possibilities to investigate, rather than events to announce in advance. Before-and-after observations will be needed to distinguish real movement from differences in lighting and viewing angle.
What does a safe encounter teach us about risk?
Apophis demonstrates why repeated tracking matters: a once-concerning orbit became a well-constrained safe passage. Its physical response can also inform the study of other near-Earth asteroids. Those broader lessons should remain separate from the established safety of this particular flyby.
CONTINUE THE INVESTIGATION
Follow the thread.
Explore related investigations, Evidence Files, image stories and films.
DATE & SCIENCE SOURCES
NASA gives April 13, 2029 for Apophis's safe Earth close approach, about 32,000 kilometres above the surface. This clock reaches 00:00 UTC at the start of the date, not the exact closest-approach time. The asteroid flyby is distinct from OSIRIS-APEX's subsequent rendezvous, which NASA currently lists for June 2029.
Source review: October 10, 2026. Check the mission agency for later schedule changes.EXPLORE IN 3D / MAP 06
Return to the planet at the center of the encounter
Explore Earth and the Moon while following the questions around a safe asteroid passage. This planetary view provides context; it does not show Apophis’s trajectory or predict viewing conditions.
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