On April 13, 2029, a near-Earth asteroid will cruise by Earth, about 31,000 km above the surface. AdvertisingThe asteroid, called 99942 Apophis, is 340 m wide. It is rare for an asteroid this size to pass by Earth so close. Among potential lessons from Apophis, scientists are hoping they can use its flyby to learn about an asteroid’s interior. Apophis is one of about 2,000 currently known Potentially Hazardous Asteroids, and scientists also hope their observations might help gain important scientific knowledge that could one day be used for planetary defence.

Source: Indian Express May 02, 2019 04:41 UTC