“God of Chaos” asteroid to pass just 32,000 km from Earth

The asteroid Apophis, also known as the “God of Chaos,” will pass just 32,000 kilometers from Earth on April 13, 2029.

NASA stated that the celestial body, named after the ancient Egyptian god of darkness, chaos, and destruction, will come closer to the planet than many orbital satellites.

Apophis is considered a relic of the early Solar System. It consists of remnants of primordial material that never became part of a planet or moon. The asteroid has an average diameter of 340 meters and a length of at least 450 meters along its axis.

According to NASA, an asteroid of this size passing Earth at such a close distance occurs on average only once every several thousand years. It is also noted that it may have never happened before in human history, and, in any case, this is the first time humanity has had the technology to observe it in detail.

“Based on this data, NASA is now confident that there is no risk of Apophis impacting Earth for at least 100 years. Even though Apophis does not pose any immediate risk to Earth, an asteroid of its size passing so close to our planet is a very rare event. Scientists across the globe are excited to use this opportunity to study Apophis in detail,” NASA said.

By Jeyhun Aghazada