Skyscraper-sized asteroid 'God of Chaos' to come extremely close to Earth: '90 percent of humanity' will see it

Scientists worldwide are closely monitoring the asteroid Apophis, discovered in 2004 and nicknamed the "God of Chaos" after the Egyptian serpent god of darkness and disorder. On April 13, 2029, this skyscraper-sized asteroid will make an exceptionally close pass by Earth, coming within 30,600 kilometers of the planet's surface. This trajectory places it nearer to Earth than some of the geosynchronous satellites that orbit our planet.

New trajectory maps presented at the Apophis T-3 Years workshop in Padua, Italy, indicate that the 450-meter wide space rock will pass close enough for an estimated 90% of the global population to witness the event with the naked eye. This celestial encounter, occurring once in a millennium, will offer approximately 7.6 billion people a chance to observe the phenomenon.

Apophis will appear as a bright star moving slowly across the sky. Unlike meteors that burn up in the atmosphere, Apophis will not produce its own light but will be visible due to sunlight reflecting off its surface, making it observable during twilight or nighttime. The asteroid's path and timing will allow nearly the entire planet to witness its harmless passage.

The closest approach is expected around 23:45 Croatian time, visible to about 1.9 billion people in eastern South America, North Africa, and parts of Europe. However, the asteroid is predicted to reach its peak brightness around 22:35 Croatian time, appearing as one of the brightest stars in the Big Dipper, moving a full moon's width every 60 seconds. Professor Richard Binzel, a planetary scientist at MIT, highlighted the event as a unique opportunity for astronomers to study asteroid composition and the effects of planetary tidal forces, providing valuable data about objects in our solar system.

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This event will also be a real scientific treasure trove for astronomers studying asteroids in our Solar System as it will provide important information about their composition and how planetary tidal forces act on them.