Find it in the Sky
Chose a date & time and view the position of Near Earth Object 99942 Apophis in the sky on our interactive planetarium.
In Evidence
Near Earth Object 99942 Apophis
Near Earth Object 99942 Apophis is in the constellation of Cancer, at a distance of
Finder Charts
The sky charts below show, at different resolutions, the position of Near Earth Object 99942 Apophis in the sky. Click on each chart to access the interactive star map tool.
The following map uses photographic imagery from the Digitized Sky Survey (DSS) to realistically visualize the precise position of Near Earth Object 99942 Apophis against the stars in the background. The horizontal size of the map measures 60 arcminutes. Click on the image to access a more detailed full-screen view.
Equatorial Coordinates
Apparent
J2000
Additional Information
Rise and Set Times
The following table lists today's rise, transit and set times of Near Earth Object 99942 Apophis from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
If you need to access this information frequently for your observations, you can create a simple customized Quick Access page, so that you can easily bookmark it in your browser favorites or add a shortcut to your mobile phones' home screen.
Distance from Earth
The distance of Near Earth Object 99942 Apophis from Earth is currently
The following graph shows the distance of Near Earth Object 99942 Apophis from Earth as a function of time. In the chart the distance is measured in Astronomical Units and the data is sampled with an interval of 1 day.
Note: The values in this chart may not be entirely accurate around the time of closest approach for objects passing very close to Earth at high speed (e.g., Near-Earth Objects).
Closest Approach to Earth
During the next 10 years, the closest approach of Near Earth Object 99942 Apophis to Earth will happen on Friday 13 April 2029 at a distance of 0.000254 Astronomical Units, or 38,011 kilometers:
Light Curve
The following chart shows the light curve of Near Earth Object 99942 Apophis, i.e., its apparent magnitude as a function of time. The curve is calculated using the latest ephemerides provided by JPL Horizons. The magnitude data is sampled with the interval of 2 days. Because of this sampling, inaccuracies may occur for objects that have large variations of brightness over a few days. For comets, large discrepancies can arise between the calculated brightness and the observations due to their highly dynamic, and not always precisely predictable, behavior.
Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Near Earth Object 99942 Apophis at epoch March, 30 2024 00:00 UTC (JD: 2460400.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.19129073 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 3.33973639° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 0.74607647 AU 111,611,452 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
1.09902781 AU 164,412,220 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
0.92255214 AU 138,011,836 km |
| Orbital period | period |
0.8861 years 323.6569 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | March 26, 2024 2,460,395.8041 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | February 12, 2025 2,460,719.4610 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 126.68323178996° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 203.91537218109° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 5.2231884488416° |
| Mean motion | n | 1.11228913°/day |
Orbit Visualization
The following chart is a 3D animated visualization of the orbit of Near Earth Object 99942 Apophis relative to the other major objects in the Solar System. You can access more advanced features using our 3D Solar System Viewer.
Physical Properties
The table below lists the known key physical properties of Near Earth Object 99942 Apophis. The source for this data is the JPL Small-Body Database.
| Physical Parameter | Value | Relative to Earth |
|---|---|---|
| Diameter | 0.325 km | 0.0000 |
| Sideral Rotation | 30.4000 hours | 1.2701 |
| Absolute Magnitude | 19.7 | |
| Geometric Albedo | 0.23 |
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Near Earth Object 99942 Apophis computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Apparent celestial coordinates are provided.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 10 2025 | 08h 25m 23s | +17° 34’ 21” | 21.57 | Cancer |
| Jul 11 2025 | 08h 28m 56s | +17° 22’ 35” | 21.57 | Cancer |
| Jul 12 2025 | 08h 32m 28s | +17° 10’ 36” | 21.57 | Cancer |
| Jul 13 2025 | 08h 35m 58s | +16° 58’ 23” | 21.57 | Cancer |
| Jul 14 2025 | 08h 39m 29s | +16° 45’ 58” | 21.57 | Cancer |
| Jul 15 2025 | 08h 42m 59s | +16° 33’ 19” | 21.57 | Cancer |
| Jul 16 2025 | 08h 46m 28s | +16° 20’ 28” | 21.57 | Cancer |
| Jul 17 2025 | 08h 49m 56s | +16° 07’ 24” | 21.57 | Cancer |
| Jul 18 2025 | 08h 53m 24s | +15° 54’ 08” | 21.57 | Cancer |
| Jul 19 2025 | 08h 56m 52s | +15° 40’ 40” | 21.57 | Cancer |
| Jul 20 2025 | 09h 00m 19s | +15° 27’ 00” | 21.57 | Cancer |
| Jul 21 2025 | 09h 03m 46s | +15° 13’ 08” | 21.56 | Cancer |
| Jul 22 2025 | 09h 07m 11s | +14° 59’ 05” | 21.56 | Cancer |
| Jul 23 2025 | 09h 10m 36s | +14° 44’ 49” | 21.56 | Cancer |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Near Earth Object 99942 Apophis: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Near Earth Object 99942 Apophis?: Key information on where to find Near Earth Object 99942 Apophis in the sky.
- Distance of Near Earth Object 99942 Apophis from Earth: Find out how far Near Earth Object 99942 Apophis is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Near Earth Object 99942 Apophis?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Rise and set times of Near Earth Object 99942 Apophis from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: Planetarium-style interactive visualization of Near Earth Object 99942 Apophis's position in the sky.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Near Earth Object 99942 Apophis's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: Information about Near Earth Object 99942 Apophis orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization: 3D interactive visualization showing the orbit of Near Earth Object 99942 Apophis with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- Physical Data: Detailed information about physical properties of Near Earth Object 99942 Apophis.