Asteroids routinely fly by Earth, mostly at a safe distance, but scientists keep a close watch on these cosmic visitors to be prepared in case one of them poses a threat to our planet. One such asteroid is Apophis, which is set to come extremely close in the year 2029. The Eiffel-Tower-sized space rock will fly by at a distance of 32,000 kilometres on April 13, which is a tenth of the distance to the Moon.&nbsp;

Asteroid 99942 Apophis has been categorised as hazardous because of it size and the distance at which it will fly by.&nbsp;Scientists first discovered it in 2004 and for years it was believed to pose a threat to Earth, with some suggesting that it might collide with us one day. However, later studies found that while it will come extremely close to us, it will not strike.

Scientists are now planning to make use of this extremely rare encounter to study the asteroid and to prevent any future collisions. Rapid Apophis Mission for Security and Safety (RAMSES) is one such plan announced by the European Space Agency (ESA). Under it, the agency will send a spacecraft to the asteroid to learn more about its shape, size, mass and rotation through space, along with its composition and structure.

Dr Holger Krag, the head of the ESA’s space safety programme office, says that the flyby is extremely unique as no asteroid is expected to come this close to Earth for thousands of years. At 20,000 miles, you might even be able to see it with the naked eye.&nbsp;

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<h2>What will happen to Apophis?</h2>

Apophis is an Earth-crossing space rock, and it will interact with the planet in some ways. It will come closer than the geostationary satellites that are responsible for television broadcasting, navigation systems and weather forecasting. Dr Krag says that this is when the asteroid will truly begin to interact with Earth. When this happens, something might change in it and through the mission, scientists are hoping to learn more about them.&nbsp;

What will lead to these changes is the "gravity field of the Earth that will basically slightly reshape the asteroid, causing it to change its form,” he said. One of the major events that can happen on the asteroid due to Earth's gravitational pull is landslides, Dr Krag said.

Dr Krag says that they&nbsp;aim to characterise asteroids in such a way that they can deflect them if they ever become dangerous.

A massive asteroid strike is what killed the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, which is why it becomes important to know about the risks beforehand so tangible action can be taken against them.&nbsp;

<h2>Other plans for Apophis</h2>

Jeff Bezos' space company Blue Origins had earlier proposed using the Blue Ring orbital platform to deliver payloads to the asteroid. It is expected to debut by the end of this year.

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Asteroids routinely fly by Earth, mostly at a safe distance, but scientists keep a close watch on these cosmic visitors to be prepared in case one of them poses a threat to our planet.

Asteroids routinely fly by Earth, mostly at a safe distance, but scientists keep a close watch on these cosmic visitors to be prepared in case one of them poses a threat to our planet. One such asteroid is Apophis, which is set to come extremely close in the year 2029. The Eiffel-Tower-sized space rock will fly by at a distance of 32,000 kilometres on April 13, which is a tenth of the distance to the Moon. Asteroid 99942 Apophis has been categorised as hazardous because of it size and the distance at which it will fly by. Scientists first discovered it in 2004 and for years it was believed to pose a threat to Earth, with some suggesting that it might collide with us one day. However, later studies found that while it will come extremely close to us, it will not strike. Scientists are now planning to make use of this extremely rare encounter to study the asteroid and to prevent any future collisions. Rapid Apophis Mission for Security and Safety (RAMSES) is one such plan announced by the European Space Agency (ESA). Under it, the agency will send a spacecraft to the asteroid to learn more about its shape, size, mass and rotation through space, along with its composition and structure. Dr Holger Krag, the head of the ESA’s space safety programme office, says that the flyby is extremely unique as no asteroid is expected to come this close to Earth for thousands of years. At 20,000 miles, you might even be able to see it with the naked eye. Also Read: The ground shook as a fireball soared over the New York sky: Reports What will happen to Apophis? Apophis is an Earth-crossing space rock, and it will interact with the planet in some ways. It will come closer than the geostationary satellites that are responsible for television broadcasting, navigation systems and weather forecasting. Dr Krag says that this is when the asteroid will truly begin to interact with Earth. When this happens, something might change in it and through the mission, scientists are hoping to learn more about them. What will lead to these changes is the "gravity field of the Earth that will basically slightly reshape the asteroid, causing it to change its form,” he said. One of the major events that can happen on the asteroid due to Earth's gravitational pull is landslides, Dr Krag said. Dr Krag says that they aim to characterise asteroids in such a way that they can deflect them if they ever become dangerous. A massive asteroid strike is what killed the dinosaurs 65 million years ago, which is why it becomes important to know about the risks beforehand so tangible action can be taken against them. Other plans for Apophis Jeff Bezos' space company Blue Origins had earlier proposed using the Blue Ring orbital platform to deliver payloads to the asteroid. It is expected to debut by the end of this year.

Landslides on asteroid? Apophis might witness a few when it crosses Earth, experts say

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Landslides on asteroid? Apophis might witness a few when it crosses Earth, experts say