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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, 13 April 2029.
But radar observations have suggested that Apophis is shaped roughly like a peanut – a relatively common shape among near-Earth asteroids larger than 660 feet in diameter, according to NASA.
The asteroid drifted 15 km from its predicted position over twelve years (the orbit was established with great precision by a series of radar observations in 1991, 1995 and 1999 from the Arecibo radio telescope). [4] Without direct measurement, it is very hard to predict the exact result of the Yarkovsky effect on a given asteroid's orbit.
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.
Apophis, a space rock roughly 1,200 feet (366 meters) across, will come within 20,000 miles (32,187 kilometers) of Earth in about 5 ½ years, which is closer than satellites that orbit our planet ...
A radar loop shows Typhoon Kong-Rey making landfall on Taiwan on Oct. 31, 2024. (CMA) Due to the severe impacts of rain and wind, Kong-rey is a 4 on the AccuWeather RealImpact™ Scale in Taiwan.
A second example was the 2013 ESA Herschel Space Observatory follow-up observations of 99942 Apophis, which showed it was 20% larger and 75% more massive than previously estimated. [65] However such follow-ups are rare. The size estimates of most near-Earth asteroids are based on visible light only. [66]
On December 24, 2004, 370 m (1,210 ft) asteroid 99942 Apophis (at the time yet unnamed and therefore known only by its provisional designation 2004 MN 4) was assigned a 4 on the Torino scale, the highest rating given to date, as the information available at the time translated to a 1.6% chance of Earth impact in April 2029. [90]