1,100ft-wide asteroid will squeak by Earth in 2029

The 1,100-foot-wide rock named 99942 Apophis will shoot across the sky in 2029, NASA says.

(Web Desk) – A massive asteroid will be visible to the naked eye when it passes close to Earth within the same distance as spacecraft that orbit the planet, according to NASA.

The 1,100-foot-wide rock named 99942 Apophis will shoot across the sky like a "moving star-like point of light", getting brighter and faster on Friday April 13, 2029.

At 19,000 miles above the earth’s surface, it will first become visible to the naked eye in the night sky over the Southern Hemisphere from the east coast to the west coast of Australia.

The asteroid will then pass across the Indian ocean, moving west above Africa, then travelling above the Atlantic Ocean in just an hour, reaching the US by the evening.

It is rare for an asteroid of this size to pass Earth so closely, according to NASA, which says that smaller asteroids from 10-20 metres have been spotted at similar distances but those the size of Apophis are much fewer.

It may be a decade away, but scientists are marking their calendars for an asteroid flyby in 2029. This 340-meter-wide asteroid called 99942 Apophis will cruise harmlessly by Earth, about 19,000 miles above the surface. See why it s exciting scientists: https://t.co/MKZu3Of4zr pic.twitter.com/iZuCG4fMJr

— NASA (@NASA) May 2, 2019

NASA scientists discussed the observation and science opportunities for the celestial event at the 2019 Planetary Defence Conference in Maryland on Tuesday.

According to researchers, Apophis will travel more than the width of the full moon within a minute and will shine as bright as the stars in the Little Dipper constellation.

"The Apophis close approach in 2029 will be an incredible opportunity for science," said Marina BrozoviÄ