---
title: "There’s a Chance This Giant Asteroid Will Smash Earth in 2068"
description: "There's a chance that giant asteroid Apophis will hit Earth in 48 years. Find out what astronomers say about the asteroid's return in 2068."
date: "2020-10-30"
modified: "2020-11-04"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/chance-giant-asteroid-smash-earth-2068"
categories:
  - "Science & Energy"
tags:
  - "Apophis"
  - "asteroid"
  - "space"
  - "the digest"
---

# There’s a Chance This Giant Asteroid Will Smash Earth in 2068

![Astronomers can't definitively rule out the chance that the "God of Chaos" asteroid Apophis crashes into Earth when it returns in 2068.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/chance-giant-asteroid-smash-earth-2068.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Image via Rawpixel\</em\>*

## Close Calls

In 48 years, an asteroid named after the Egyptian God of Chaos Apophis might hit the Earth.

Apophis will pass particularly close to the Earth in 2068, *[Popular Mechanics ](<https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/solar-system/a34511043/god-of-chaos-asteroid-headed-for-earth/>)*[reports](<https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/solar-system/a34511043/god-of-chaos-asteroid-headed-for-earth/>). And because its orbit is drifting little by little, there's a chance that it actually hits us. The [odds of that happening](<https://futurism.com/tabloid-killer-asteroids-every-day>) are fairly low — but the risk, scientists say, is real.

## Wave Hello

Even before then, Apophis will [swing by for a visit](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/asteroid-zips-earth-scientists-hitch-ride>). In 2029, it will even pass between the Earth and a network of satellites, at which point we'll be able to see it with our naked eyes, *PopMech* reports.

The University of Hawai'i astronomers who couldn't rule out the 2068 impact say that the 2029 transit will definitely be harmless, though. [Their work](<https://www.hawaii.edu/news/2020/10/26/new-massive-asteroid-findings/>), which was presented at a 2020 meeting of the American Astronomical Society, has been tracking the changing orbit of Apophis since it was discovered in 2004.

## Dry Run

Again, the odds that Apophis actually poses a threat to us are slim — the probability is low, but the consequences would be catastrophic. Still, space agencies are preparing, according to *PopMech*. NASA and SpaceX are [launching the DART mission](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/nasas-dart-spacex-incoming-asteroids>), which will serve as a practice round for the plan to deflect potentially killer asteroids.

Russian scientists have also said they're [developing a nuclear missile](<https://futurism.com/russias-ballistic-missiles-versus-asteroid-apophis>) they intend to shoot at Apophis — so at the very least, the space rock won't catch us off guard.

**READ MORE:** [A 'God of Chaos' Asteroid Could Hit Earth in 2068](<https://www.popularmechanics.com/space/solar-system/a34511043/god-of-chaos-asteroid-headed-for-earth/>) \[*Popular Mechanics*\]

**More on asteroids:** *[This Awful Tabloid Predicts a Killer Asteroid Almost Every Day](<https://futurism.com/tabloid-killer-asteroids-every-day>)*

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)