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99942 Apophis (provisional designation 2004 MN 4) is a near-Earth asteroid and a potentially hazardous object, 450 metres (1,480 ft) by 170 metres (560 ft) in size, [3] that caused a brief period of concern in December 2004 when initial observations indicated a probability of 2.7% that it would hit Earth on Friday, April 13, 2029.
Roy A. Tucker (1951 – 2021) was an American astronomer best known for the co-discovery of near-Earth asteroid 99942 Apophis (formerly known as 2004 MN 4) along with David J. Tholen and Fabrizio Bernardi of the University of Hawaii. [2]
On 25 April 2022, NASA confirmed that the mission would be extended. After dropping off its sample to Earth on 24 September 2023, the mission became OSIRIS-APEX ('APophis EXplorer'). [77] As the new name suggests, its next target will be the near-Earth asteroid (and potentially hazardous object) 99942 Apophis. Apophis will make an extremely ...
The asteroid, previously known as 99942, is estimated to be around 1,100 feet wide and was only discovered in 2004. At the time, Apophis was thought to be on a trajectory toward Earth.
In a bit of ominous news befitting a Friday the 13th: It turns out that the asteroid Apophis could have a very small chance of colliding into Earth in five years, when it is expected to make a ...
David Tholen and Roy Tucker, co-discovers of 99942 Apophis, are both fans of the TV series Stargate SG-1, which influenced the naming of the asteroid. The show's most persistent villain is "Apophis", an alien also named for the Egyptian god. "We considered a number of names, but 'Apophis' kept floating to the top," says Tucker.
[15] [25] This is the second-highest Torino scale rating an asteroid has ever reached, behind 99942 Apophis which briefly ranked Torino scale level 4 in late 2004. [25] NASA gives a Palermo scale rating of −0.33 for 2024 YR 4, which corresponds to an impact hazard of 46.8% of the background hazard level. [7]
Ramses, or Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety, is a proposed ESA mission to a near-Earth asteroid 99942 Apophis.If approved, it is expected to be launched in April 2028, to arrive at Apophis in February 2029, before its closest approach to Earth.