NASA declares Earth is safe from ‘Apophis’ asteroid for 100 years

NASA announced this week that Earth will remain safe from the threat of a specific asteroid’s impact for at least the next 100 years.

According to the space agency, new telescope observations have ruled out the possibility of the 1,100-ft. asteroid “Apophis” coming in contact with Earth in 2068, The Associated Press reported.

NASA previously cited concerns that Apophis could come severely close to Earth in 2029 and in 2036 before recently ruling out those possibilities.

Now, according to the news outlet, Apophis has been officially removed from the agency’s asteroid “risk list.”

“A 2068 impact is not in the realm of possibility anymore, and our calculations don’t show any impact risk for at least the next 100 years,” Davide Farnocchia of NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies told the AP.

Earlier this month, scientists were able to refine the space rock’s orbit around the sun through radar observations. Apophis will reportedly come within 20,000 miles of Earth in April of 2029 and allow for astronomers to have a better look at it.

“When I started working with asteroids after college, Apophis was the poster child for hazardous asteroids,” Farnocchia said.

“There’s a certain sense of satisfaction to see it removed from the risk list.”