8legs: Close approach of asteroid 99942 apophis

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'God of chaos' asteroid Apophis will pass very close to Earth in 2029

Apophis will pass about 20,000 miles (32,000 km) above Earth on the 2029 flyby, offering a rare observational opportunity.
Earth’s gravity could alter Apophis’s spin and surface via tidal effects during the close approach.
Scientists aim to detect surface changes that could reveal fresher material beneath weathered layers.
MIT researchers have tracked Apophis’s rotation to look for before-and-after spectral changes.
The 2029 flyby will widen Apophis’s orbit and move it from Aten to Apollo class.
NASA and ESA plan coordinated observations and missions to study the encounter.
The event was once feared but is now viewed as a scientific opportunity.
Radar observations in 2021 helped rule out a potential impact for the next century.
Apophis is an S-type asteroid likely formed in the main belt about 4.6 billion years ago.
The 2029 pass will be the closest approach of this size that scientists have known about in advance.

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