Preparations Intensify as ‘Planet Killer’ Asteroid, Cruise Ship-Sized, Approaches Earth

Despite initial fears, it won’t hit.

When first discovered in 2004, initial orbital calculations for asteroid 99942 Apophis placed Earth in a collision “danger zone” during its 2029 and 2036 passes.

Apophis is a clump of rocks about 350 meters across, roughly the size of a modern luxury cruise liner or one of America’s enormous nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.

A land impact could destroy an area the size of a country, while a sea impact would unleash devastating tsunamis.

However, additional observations and radar ranging have significantly refined its orbital projections.

We now know that on April 13, 2029, it will miss Earth by 32,000 kilometers.

The math is good enough to rule out any risk for a further 100 years.

But the satellites that power the GPS on your mobile phone orbit at 20,000 kilometers. And the Moon is 384,400 kilometers away.

So, cosmically speaking, Apophis is still going to be a very close call.

This is why the European Space Agency (ESA) plans to take a good look as it catapults by.