Overview
- NASA and workshop researchers confirmed in early July 2026 that asteroid 99942 Apophis will pose no impact threat in 2029 and no recorded threat for at least the next century.
- Apophis is predicted to make closest approach on April 13, 2029 at about 31,600 kilometers above the North Atlantic, a height below the geostationary satellite ring.
- Visibility forecasts presented at the 'Apophis T‑3 Years' workshop estimate roughly 90% of the world’s population lives in regions where the rock could be seen in principle, with peak brightness crossing over Cameroon and two large peak-viewing windows affecting billions.
- To the naked eye Apophis should look like a moving star for about seven hours as it crosses the sky, and actual sighting will depend on weather, light pollution and the asteroid’s unknown reflectivity.
- Scientists plan coordinated radar, telescope and spacecraft observations including NASA’s retargeted OSIRIS‑APEX and ESA’s Ramses concept to measure changes to Apophis’s orbit, spin and surface after the flyby.