Apophis

Its next notable close approach is on 2029-Apr-13, when it passes about 0.1 lunar distances from Earth — roughly 38,011 km, closer than many satellites. Apophis is currently about 689 lunar distances away — the live orbit and distance are shown above.

No impact is predicted. Apophis is classified as a potentially hazardous asteroid, which means its orbit brings it relatively close to Earth — but classification is about proximity, not an impending collision. Its trajectory is continuously refined as new observations are gathered, and predicted close approaches are calculated decades ahead. Its live position and orbit are shown above.

Apophis is estimated at about 375 m across — about the height of the Empire State Building. Size estimates are derived from how bright the asteroid appears and refined by radar and thermal measurements when it passes close to Earth.

Apophis is Aten (Earth-crossing, inner) object. It orbits the Sun once every 0.89 years, on an elliptical path that spends much of its time inside Earth’s orbit. The interactive orbit diagram above shows where it is right now.

Yes — OSIRIS-APEX. NASA’s repurposed sample craft rendezvouses with it right after the 2029 flyby. Explore more spacecraft and missions.

Most of the time Apophis is far too faint to see, but during a close approach it can brighten enough for amateur telescopes, and the largest near-Earth asteroids occasionally reach binocular range. Check the close-approach date above, then plan your night with our sky and space-weather tools.