A ‘Potentially Hazardous’ Asteroid Will Pass Close to Earth in 2029 — and It Has an Alarming Nickname
This occurrence will be the closest approach to Earth by an asteroid of this size that scientists have known about in advance
By Lexi Lane
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A “potentially hazardous” asteroid is scheduled to pass by Earth in 2029, marking the “closest approach” to the planet by one of its size.
The asteroid is called Apophis, a name that comes from the ancient Egyptian god of chaos, according to Britannica.
However, despite the alarming-sounding name, NASA’s website noted it will “safely pass” about 20,000 miles from Earth on April 13, 2029.
NASA added that this distance is “closer than the distance of many satellites in geosynchronous orbit.”