3I/ATLAS Is Forcing A Rethink Of What We Expect From Asteroid Apophis In April 2029 – Closest Approach To Earth Will Be On Friday The 13th – Visible With The Naked-Eye
Why does this matter for Earth? Because in just four years, humanity will witness the closest pass of asteroid Apophis—officially designated 99942 Apophis—on Friday, April 13, 2029. According to current statements from NASA and its planetary-defense partners, Apophis will not strike Earth. Today’s models show a clean flyby. But history matters here. Earlier projections, based on less complete data, once placed Apophis in a far more concerning category. It was only after years of refinement, radar measurements, and orbital updates that confidence increased.
That evolution in risk assessment is precisely the lesson 3I/ATLAS is forcing us to relearn.
When an object begins to demonstrate unexpected acceleration, unusual jet geometry, or thermal and ultraviolet signatures that do not cleanly align with existing comet physics, the honest position is not panic—but humility. Models are only as good as the assumptions beneath them. And interstellar objects, by their very nature, stress-test those assumptions.
