The asteroid Apophis,

The asteroid Apophis, also known as 99942 Apophis, is a potentially dangerous asteroid that has received attention from the scientific community.

It was discovered in 2004, is elongated and is estimated to have a diameter of approximately 340 metres. Its name refers to the Egyptian god of chaos and destruction.

One of the reasons Apophis has attracted attention is because of its near-Earth trajectory. In 2004, the possibility was raised that it could impact our planet in 2029, which caused some concern, but later studies ruled out that possibility and it was determined that Apophis would pass at a safe distance from Earth in that year.

Despite this, some interest in Apophis has been maintained by scientists. In addition to its close trajectory, it has been considered that this asteroid could potentially have an impact in the future, specifically in the year 2036.

However, the chances of a significant impact are extremely low, estimated at less than one in a million.

Despite the low impact probability, the Apophis study is important to better understand the dynamics and characteristics of near-Earth asteroids.

Scientists have used telescopic observations and mathematical models to study its orbit, composition and internal structure.

In 2013, NASA made detailed observations of Apophis using radar from the Goldstone radio telescope in California. These observations provided detailed images of its surface and helped refine calculations of its orbit.

As for its composition, Apophis is believed to be a C-type asteroid, which means that it is probably composed mainly of carbon and silicate minerals.

The Osirs-Rex spacecraft that has already visited the asteroid Bannu and sent samples to Earth is heading towards it and expects shortly after Apophis passes within 32,000 kilometres (20,000 miles) of Earth in 2029 to enter orbit around the asteroid for more than a year of close-up observations, including another take-off and landing, where it will use its thrusters to remove material and dig into the surface.

Studying its composition can provide information about the history and evolution of asteroids, as well as the processes that have taken place in our solar system.