Asteroid Apophis Gives Earth a Close Shave in 2029 (Infographic)

Infographic: Asteroid Apophis' close pass poses no danger — The huge asteroid will pass close, but scientists say it won't hit us. (Image credit: Karl Tate, SPACE.com contributor)

After its discovery in 2004, astronomers gave the asteroid Apophis a 2.4 percent chance of hitting the earth during its close flyby on April 13, 2029. If the 1,066-foot (325 meters) asteroid were to strike our planet, the blast could equal hundreds of megatons.

Comets also pose an impact threat, but in Earth’s part of the solar system asteroids outnumber comets 100 to 1.

On February 15, 2013, the newly discovered asteroid 2012 DA14 will pass lower than the belt of communications satellites that girdles Earth’s equator at an altitude of 22,236 miles (35,786 kilometers).

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Karl's association with Space.com goes back to 2000, when he was hired to produce interactive Flash graphics. From 2010 to 2016, Karl worked as an infographics specialist across all editorial properties of Purch (formerly known as TechMediaNetwork). Before joining Space.com, Karl spent 11 years at the New York headquarters of The Associated Press, creating news graphics for use around the world in newspapers and on the web. He has a degree in graphic design from Louisiana State University and now works as a freelance graphic designer in New York City.