Closest asteroid flyby in recorded history
99942 Apophis is a near-Earth asteroid approximately 370 meters in diameter — roughly the size of the Eiffel Tower laid on its side. Discovered June 19, 2004 at Kitt Peak Observatory, it was briefly the most threatening asteroid ever identified, with a 2.7% calculated impact probability.
Named after the Egyptian serpent deity of chaos, Apophis's threat level has since been reduced to zero. But its 2029 flyby remains the closest approach of an asteroid this size in recorded history — and an extraordinary scientific opportunity.
Formerly OSIRIS-REx. Arrives April 2029 post-flyby. 18-month rendezvous to map shape changes, measure spin alteration, and perform gas thruster surface disturbance experiment.
Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety. Arrives February 2029 — before the flyby. Provides unique before-and-after observations with camera, lidar, and thermal spectrometer.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ IMPACT PROBABILITY 0.000000000 │ │ TORINO SCALE 0 / 10 │ │ RULED OUT THROUGH 2116 │ │ STATUS ██ NO THREAT │ └─────────────────────────────────────────┘
NASA and ESA have conclusively eliminated all impact scenarios through 2116. Radar observations from Goldstone and Green Bank (2021) refined Apophis's orbit to extraordinary precision.
GET /api/arrival → countdown + timestamp GET /api/position → heliocentric + geocentric GET /api/facts → structured Apophis data GET /api/orbit → elements + path arrays Rate limit: 60 req/min. No key required.
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