99942 Apophis facts for kids
(99942) Apophis is a space rock called a near-Earth asteroid. It got a lot of attention in December 2004 because scientists thought it might hit Earth.
At first, some observations made it seem like Apophis could hit Earth in 2029. But later, scientists got even better information. They realized that in 2029, Apophis would pass through a special area in space called a "gravitational keyhole." This keyhole is very small, only about 400 meters wide. If Apophis went through it, Earth's gravity could pull the asteroid just right, making it hit our planet on April 13, 2036.
This possible danger made Apophis a Level 1 on the Torino Scale. The Torino Scale helps scientists measure how risky an asteroid impact might be. Level 1 means there's a small chance of a collision.
Apophis: A Closer Look
Scientists kept watching Apophis very closely. They used powerful telescopes to track its path. These new observations showed that Apophis would actually miss the "keyhole" in 2029.
Because of this, on August 5, 2006, the risk level for Apophis was lowered to Level 0 on the Torino Scale. Level 0 means there's almost no chance of an impact.
As of October 19, 2006, the chance of Apophis hitting Earth on April 13, 2036, was very, very small – about 1 in 45,000. There was also a tiny chance it could hit in 2038, but that was even less likely, about 1 in 12.3 million. So, for now, Apophis is not a worry!
Images for kids
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99942 Apophis
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Path of risk where 99942 Apophis may impact Earth in 2036. Source: data estimated by the B612 Foundation.
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Comparison between the best-fit convex and nonconvex shape models, and some of the available radar images of (99942) Apophis
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Comparison of possible size of Apophis asteroid to Eiffel Tower and Empire State Building
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Hypothetical risk corridor for an impact on 13 April 2029, based on the 2020–21 planetary defense exercise
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Asteroid 99942 Apophis – radar observations March 8–10, 2021 (March 26, 2021)
See also
In Spanish: (99942) Apofis para niños
