Apophis 2029 Flyby: Billions Could Witness a Close Naked-Eye Earth Pass

On 13 April 2029, asteroid 99942 Apophis will pass about 32,000 km from Earth—closer than geostationary satellites—offering a rare, world-spanning viewing event, though NASA says there is no impact risk for at least a century. New visibility maps suggest as many as 7.6 billion people could see it with the naked eye during roughly seven hours, depending on darkness and sky conditions. Scientists will study the encounter to learn about asteroid structure and gravity effects, while three spacecraft programs—ESA’s Ramses, JAXA’s DESTINY+, and NASA’s OSIRIS-APEX—will observe Apophis before, during and after the flyby as a planetary-defense rehearsal.