How big is the Apophis asteroid?

185 m
99942 Apophis/Radius

Where is the asteroid Apophis now?

Asteroid 99942 Apophis is currently in the constellation of Leo.

How do you identify Apophis?

How to spot Apophis tonight. It may be tricky to see Apophis with a regular telescope, as it will only have a visual magnitude of 15 or 16, according to EarthSky. You will likely need a 12-inch diameter or larger telescope. The asteroid will come closest to Earth at 1.15am on Saturday morning.

Do asteroids hit the sun?

No asteroids have ever been observed to hit the Sun, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t! Asteroids are normally content to stay in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, but occasionally something nudges them out of their original orbits, and they come careening into the inner solar system.

When is asteroid 99942 Apophis going to hit Earth?

Asteroid 99942 Apophis is a near-Earth asteroid more than 1000 feet (over 300 meters) in size that will harmlessly pass close to Earth on April 13, 2029. When it was discovered in 2004, the asteroid caused a stir because initial calculations indicated a small possibility it would impact Earth in 2029.

What kind of asteroid is the Apophis asteroid?

As a result, Apophis is classified as a near-Earth asteroid, as opposed to a main-belt asteroid. There are no high-resolution images of the surface of asteroid Apophis, but it is likely similar to surfaces of other stony-type asteroids like Itokawa, the first asteroid from which samples were captured and brought to Earth for analysis.

Is there a chance that Apophis will hit Earth?

Current calculations show that Apophis still has a very small chance of impacting Earth — less than 1 in 100,000 many decades from now. The most important observations of Apophis will come during its close Earth flyby in 2029.

Are there any high resolution images of Apophis?

There are no high-resolution images of the surface of asteroid Apophis, but it is likely similar to surfaces of other stony-type asteroids like Itokawa, the first asteroid from which samples were captured and brought to Earth for analysis.