This massive asteroid once terrified scientists—now it’s a rare planetary experiment

Produced by: Manoj Kumar

Credit : NASA

Orbital Intruder

Apophis will fly lower than satellites—just 18,600 miles from Earth—giving two billion people a front-row seat to a cosmic near-miss with geological consequences.

Credit : NASA

Gravity Grip

As Apophis slingshots past Earth, our planet’s gravity is expected to twist its orbit, spin, and possibly even trigger seismic activity inside the asteroid.

Credit : NASA

Naked Eye

For the first time in history, a skyscraper-sized asteroid will be visible without a telescope—lighting up skies across parts of Asia, Africa, and Europe.

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Space Shocker

Originally labeled a Level 4 threat, Apophis once carried real impact risk. Now it’s a celestial case study in how science defused fear—by tracking it obsessively.

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Tumbling Rock

The flyby may jolt Apophis into a chaotic spin, giving researchers the rare chance to study asteroid behavior during a real-time gravitational encounter.

Representative pic

Planet Test

Apophis won’t hit Earth—but its 2029 pass offers the ultimate trial run for future asteroid defense missions, orbital physics, and rapid-response space tech.

Credit : NASA

Seismic First

Apophis could become only the third celestial body—after the Moon and Mars—where humans detect seismic activity from space, thanks to Earth’s tidal pull.

Credit : NASA

Probe Reboot

NASA’s OSIRIS-REx has a new target: Apophis. Renamed OSIRIS-APEX, it’s set to rendezvous mid-flyby and watch the asteroid’s surface shift in real time.

Credit : NASA

Safe Terror

It won’t strike us—but Apophis will pass close enough to awaken old asteroid anxieties, and maybe some backyard astronomers, too.

Credit : NASA