Asteroid 99942 Apophis — once a distant thought experiment — is now a very real, observable event on the astronomical calendar. On April 13, 2029, this ~370 m near-Earth asteroid will make a rare close flyby, passing closer to Earth than many geostationary satellites and visible to the naked eye from large parts of the globe. While scientists emphasize there’s no impact risk predicted for at least the next century, the encounter presents an unprecedented opportunity for observation and study of