One of the show's persistent villains is an alien named Apophis. He is one of the principal threats to the existence of civilization on Earth through the first few seasons, thus likely why the asteroid was named after him.

Mar 28, 2025 · Near-Earth asteroid Apophis is a potentially hazardous asteroid that will safely pass close to Earth on April 13, 2029. It will come about 20,000 miles (32,000 kilometers) from our planet’s surface — closer than the distance of many satellites in geosynchronous orbit (about 22,236 miles, or 36,000 kilometers, in altitude).

Mar 28, 2025 · Apophis is a relic of the early solar system. It’s made of leftover “raw material” that was never part of a planet or moon. Apophis has a mean diameter of 1,115 feet (340 meters), and a long axis that is at least 1,480 feet (450 meters) long. When it was discovered in 2004, it appeared Apophis might impact Earth in either 2029, 2036, or 2068.

Apr 25, 2017 · Apophis (also known as Apep) is the Great Serpent, enemy of the sun god Ra, in ancient Egyptian religion. The sun was Ra's great barge which sailed through the sky from dawn to dusk and then descended...

Mar 26, 2021 · When Apophis made a distant flyby of Earth around March 5, astronomers took the opportunity to use powerful radar observations to refine the estimate of its orbit around the Sun with extreme precision, enabling them to confidently …

Nov 6, 2024 · An asteroid the size of the Empire State Building, named Apophis, could potentially hit Earth in 2029, but scientists consider the chance extremely small.

Mar 28, 2025 · Apophis was discovered on June 19, 2004, by astronomers Roy Tucker, David Tholen, and Fabrizio Bernardi at Kitt Peak National Observatory in Tucson, Arizona. They were only able to observe the asteroid for two days because of technical and weather problems. Fortunately, a team at the Siding Spring Observatory in Australia spotted the asteroid ...

May 10, 2024 · In just under half a decade, a 1,000-foot-wide (305-meter-wide) asteroid named after the Egyptian god of chaos and destruction, Apophis, will pass within 30,000...

Sep 13, 2024 · For the asteroid named for an Egyptian god of chaos to pose a risk to Earth, it would need to be hit by another space rock at just the right angle to redirect the city-killer on a collision...

Nov 12, 2024 · 99942 Apophis is a cheeky one. Upon its discovery in 2004, scientists calculated the the 335-meter (1,100-foot) chunk of rock's trajectory could potentially bring it onto a collision course with Earth on its approach in April 2029. Gave …