A massive asteroid, named 99942 Apophis – which translates to “God of chaos” and is larger than the Eiffel Tower – is set to make an “exceptionally close” pass by Earth in 2029.
If it were to collide with our planet, the results would likely be apocalyptic.
This asteroid is expected to come closer to Earth than the geostationary satellites used for TV broadcasting, navigation, and weather forecasting, and no other asteroid is predicted to come this close for several thousand years.
The exact date for its close flyby is Friday, April 13, 2029.
However, there’s no need to start doomsday prepping just yet.
Researchers at the European Space Agency (ESA) are preparing to monitor the asteroid closely.
Following the success of NASA’s DART mission in 2022, the ESA is doubling down on efforts to secure Earth’s defences against potentially cataclysmic space rocks.
Scientists are particularly interested in how Earth’s gravity will affect the asteroid during its close approach.
As part of the new Rapid Apophis Mission for Security and Safety (RAMSES), a spacecraft will be sent to observe the asteroid two months before its close encounter with Earth.
Richard Moissl, head of ESA’s Planetary Defence Office, called the mission “a cornerstone of humankind’s response to a hazardous asteroid”.
During this time, the spacecraft will gather information about Apophis’ size, shape, mass, and the way it spins on its endless journey through space.
The ESA said: “These are all very important properties for assessing how best to knock a hazardous asteroid off a collision course with Earth.”
Ramses needs to launch in April 2028 to reach Apophis in February 2029.
Professor Monica Grady of the Open University told The Guardian that an asteroid like Apophis is likely to have brought on the end of the dinosaurs.
“[Asteroids] come near the Earth, and there’s potential that one day one of them will hit the Earth and cause a major disaster,” she said.
“We believe this happened 65m years ago when the dinosaurs were all wiped out.
“And if it’s a big asteroid and it hits us, it’ll be a catastrophe which will destroy humanity.”