Apophis, the Asteroid Named After a Demon
In 2004, astronomers found an asteroid with a worrying chance of hitting Earth in 2029. They named it after the Egyptian serpent of chaos.
What was reported
In June 2004, astronomers at Kitt Peak in Arizona discovered an asteroid about 340 metres wide. When they calculated its orbit, there seemed to be a chance, at one point estimated at nearly 3%, that it would hit the Earth on 13 April 2029, one of the highest risks ever calculated for a large asteroid.
It was named Apophis, after the serpent god of chaos and darkness in ancient Egyptian myth, enemy of the Sun god Ra.
Explanations offered
Further observations ruled out an impact in 2029, and later ones ruled out any impact for at least a hundred years. But on 13 April 2029, Apophis will pass closer than some satellites, about 32,000 kilometres from Earth, and will be visible to the naked eye. Space agencies plan missions to study it.
- When
- Discovered in 2004; close pass on 13 April 2029
- Where
- Kitt Peak National Observatory, Arizona, USA
- Witnesses
- Astronomers worldwide
- Status
- No danger
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
More from Arizona