Asteroid Apophis to skim by Earth in 2029 as NASA’s OSIRIS-APEX trails to study gravity’s effect
TL;DR
In April 2029, asteroid 99942 Apophis will pass about 32,000 km above Earth — closer than geostationary satellites — and NASA’s OSIRIS-APEX will watch from afar and then trail the asteroid to map how Earth’s gravity changes its orbit, rotation and surface. The mission will use cameras, spectrometers and a laser altimeter to characterize Apophis’s shape and composition, with a close ground-proximity pass later used to study surface changes, while Earth provides a well-understood gravitational test for a potentially hazardous, rubble-pile body.
Topics:sciencescience-space#2029-flyby#apophis#asteroid-science#earth-gravity#osiris-apex#science-space
- In April 2029, asteroid Apophis will pass just 32,000 kilometres above Earth—inside the orbit of geostationary satellites—and NASA’s OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft will follow close behind to see what Earth’s gravity did to it Space Daily
- In April 2029, a Massive Asteroid Will Just Miss Earth. Scientists Are Worried There Could Still Be Major Consequences ScienceAlert
- It’s not an eclipse: the rare sky event millions will witness in 2029 that won’t return for generations El Cronista
- Giant asteroid to Earth will pass from a very close distance Medianews.az
- Could Apophis asteroid collide with space debris in 2029? Operativ Məlumat Mərkəzi
Want the full story? Read the original reporting
Read on Space Daily