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Roughly 375 meters in diameter, approximately the size of a cruise liner, the asteroid Apophis will come within 32,000 km of Earth's surface on April 13, 2029. For a brief period, it will be visible to the naked eye under clear, dark skies for about two billion people across much of Europe and Africa, as well as parts of Asia.
Astronomers have confirmed that Apophis will not collide with Earth in the next 100 years. However, the flyby of Apophis in April 2029 is an exceptionally rare celestial event.
Based on the analysis of the sizes and orbits of all known asteroids, astronomers estimate that an object of this size passes this close to Earth only once every 5000 to 10,000 years. For comparison, a total solar eclipse occurs somewhere on Earth approximately every 18 months, and Halley's Comet returns to Earth's skies every 76 years.
The 2029 flyby of Apophis will capture global attention and presents a unique opportunity for scientific research, planetary defense, and public engagement. ESA's Ramses spacecraft will rendezvous with Apophis before its close approach to Earth and accompany the asteroid during the flyby to observe how it is influenced and altered by Earth's gravitational forces.
Patrick Michel, Director of Research at CNRS at Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur in Nice, remarked, "There is still much we have to discover about asteroids. Until now, we have had to venture deep into the Solar System to study them and perform experiments on their surfaces."
"For the first time ever, nature is bringing one to us and conducting its own experiment. All we have to do is observe as Apophis is stretched and squeezed by powerful tidal forces, which may trigger landslides and other disturbances, potentially revealing new material from beneath its surface."
To meet the timeline, Ramses must launch in April 2028 to reach Apophis by February 2029, two months before its closest approach. In order to adhere to this schedule, ESA has been authorized by the Space Safety Programme Board to commence preparatory work using existing resources as soon as possible. The final decision on whether to proceed with the mission will be made at ESA's Ministerial Council Meeting in November 2025.