An asteroid named after the Egyptian god of chaos is going to come so close to Earth, it will pass within the orbit of some spacecraft.
NASA says the asteroid named 99942 Apophis will come within 19,000 miles of Earth on April 13, 2029.
The 1,100-foot-wide asteroid will be visible to the naked eye. NASA says it will look like a moving star-like point of light. It will be visible in the night sky over the southern hemisphere, moving east to west over Australia. As it zooms by the Earth, it will pass over the United States between 6 p.m, and 7 p.m. EDT.
NASA will also use optical and radar telescopes to get a closer look. Scientists say most asteroids that pass by are 15-30 feet wide, so an asteroid this size passing so close is a rare opportunity.
While Apophis is not expected to hit Earth, scientists are meeting this week at the Planetary Defense Conference to discuss a hypothetical scenario of how to deflect an approaching asteroid within the next eight years.
