From Newsgroup: alt.astronomy

If this is all true, OK< I'll agree this is close!
Closer than all our geosynchronous communications satellites,
22,000 miles.

from https://abcnews.com/US/god-chaos-asteroid-pass-close-earth-2029/story?id=132027987

'God of chaos' asteroid to pass close to Earth in 2029
The approach will be close enough to see with the naked eye.

ByJulia Jacobo
April 14, 2026, 10:29 AM
1:27

Massive meteor boom heard across several states
0:26
1:45
Massive meteor boom heard across several statesA six-foot wide,
seven-ton space rock traveled 34 miles through the upper atmosphere
before disintegrating over Medina County in Ohio, according to NASA.

A rare asteroid will soon be visible to the naked eye in a rare
celestial event, according to astronomers.

Asteroid 99942 Apophis rCo named after the Egyptian deity of chaos,
darkness and fire rCo is expected to safely pass close to Earth on April
13, 2029, according to NASA.

PHOTO: Near-Earth asteroid Apophis is a potentially hazardous asteroid
that will safely pass close to Earth on April 13, 2029.
Near-Earth asteroid Apophis is a potentially hazardous asteroid that
will safely pass close to Earth on April 13, 2029. It will come about
20,000 miles (32,000 kilometers) from our planetrCOs surface rCo closer than the distance of many satellites in geosynchronous orbit (about 22,236
miles, or 36,000 kilometers, in altitude).
NASA
The asteroid will pass within roughly 20,000 miles of Earth rCo nearly 12 times closer than the moon's average distance from Earth, and closer
than many satellites in geosynchronous orbit rCo making it one one of the closest approaches ever recorded for an object if its size and a "very
rare event," according to NASA.

The approach will be visible to observers on the ground in the Eastern Hemisphere, weather permitting, according to NASA. It will be close
enough that sky-watchers won't need a telescope or binoculars to see it, astronomers say.

Related
MORE: Asteroid just flew closer to Earth than many satellites, space
agencies say
When Apophis was first discovered in 2004, it was labeled a potentially hazardous asteroid because of the possibility that it could impact Earth
in 2029, 2036 or 2068, according to NASA.

Recent Stories from ABC News
symbol
00:02

02:00
Read More



After closely tracking the asteroid and its orbit using optical
telescopes and ground-based radar, astronomers are now confident that
there is no risk of Apophis impacting Earth for at least 100 years.

PHOTO: On April 13, 2029, Apophis will pass less than 32,000 km from
EarthrCOs surface.
On April 13, 2029, Apophis will pass less than 32,000 km from EarthrCOs surface. Roughly 375 m across on average, Apophis will, for a short
time, be closer to Earth than telecommunications satellites in
geostationary orbit and will be visible in the night sky to the naked
eye from much of Europe, Africa and Asia.
ESA - Science Office
The Earth's gravitational pull could change the asteroid's orbit around
the sun as it passes in 2029, making the orbit slightly larger or the
orbital period slightly longer, but the risk of impact with Earth will
remain the same, NASA says. Its close passage will also afford
astronomers around the world the opportunity to learn more about the
asteroid.

Related
MORE: Astronomers spot 'interstellar object' speeding through solar system

Apophis is the Greek name for the Egyptian god known as Apep. The name
was proposed by the astronomers who discovered the asteroid: Roy Tucker,
David Tholen and Fabrizio Bernardi of the Kitt Peak National Observatory
near Tucson, Arizona.

PHOTO: These images of asteroid Apophis were recorded in March 2021 by
radio antennas at the Deep Space NetworkrCOs Goldstone complex in
California and the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia.
These images of asteroid Apophis were recorded in March 2021 by radio
antennas at the Deep Space NetworkrCOs Goldstone complex in California and
the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia. The asteroid was 10.6 million
miles (17 million kilometers) away from Earth.
NASA/JPL-Caltech and NSF/AUI/GBO
The asteroid is a relic of the early solar system from about 4.6 billion
years ago, made of leftover raw material that was never part of a planet
or moon, according to NASA. Though its exact size and shape is unknown,
it has a mean diameter of about 1,115 feet and a long axis of at least
1,480 feet.

Related
MORE: 3I/ATLAS, comet hurtling toward solar system, much bigger than previously thought, astronomers say
Apophis' surface is weathered due to eons of exposure to space weather, including solar wind and cosmic rays, according to the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology.

Observatories around the world and in space will observe the asteroid's historic approach to Earth in order to better understand its physical properties.

PHOTO: Egyptian Snake-God Apep (Apophis)
Ancient Egyptian snake-god Apep (Apophis), a giant snake with human
legs, snake-god of the underworld, illustration from the book "Pantheon Egyptien" by Leon Jean Joseph Dubois, 1824. From the New York Public
Library.
Smith Collection/gado via Getty Images
NASA has redirected a spacecraft to rendezvous with Apophis shortly
after its close approach in 2029, while the European Space Agency is
sending a spacecraft to study it.

When the April 2029 flyby occurs, Apophis will become a member of the
"Apollo" group, the family of asteroids that cross Earth's orbit but
that themselves have orbits around the sun that are wider than the
Earth's, according to the ESA.

Related Topics
Space
--- Synchronet 3.21f-Linux NewsLink 1.2