{"id":169155,"date":"2025-12-01T12:04:11","date_gmt":"2025-12-01T12:04:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/169155\/"},"modified":"2025-12-01T12:04:11","modified_gmt":"2025-12-01T12:04:11","slug":"watch-osiris-apex-capture-stunning-photos-of-earth-and-the-moon-now-headed-to-apophis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/169155\/","title":{"rendered":"Watch OSIRIS-APEX Capture Stunning Photos of Earth and the Moon, Now Headed to Apophis!"},"content":{"rendered":"

NASA\u2019s OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft has captured breathtaking images of Earth as it passed by the planet on September 23, 2025, using a gravity-assist maneuver to speed its journey toward Apophis, a notorious asteroid. These stunning photos mark a key milestone for the mission, confirming that the spacecraft is healthy and on course for its 2029 encounter with the asteroid, which has long been a subject of scientific interest.<\/p>\n

OSIRIS-APEX is the follow-up phase to NASA\u2019s OSIRIS-REx mission, which returned samples from the asteroid Bennu in 2023. This new mission is focused on Apophis, a stony, metal-rich asteroid. Once thought to pose a significant risk to Earth, Apophis is now considered an excellent opportunity to learn about asteroid behavior, especially in relation to how such bodies respond to planetary forces. <\/p>\n

OSIRIS-APEX: A New Phase in Asteroid Exploration<\/p>\n

According to\u00a0a statement<\/a>\u00a0from NASA, OSIRIS-APEX mission follows the success of OSIRIS-REx<\/a>, which returned samples from the asteroid Bennu<\/a> in 2023. OSIRIS-APEX\u2019s primary goal is to study Apophis, a near-Earth asteroid that offers a sharp contrast to Bennu\u2019s carbon-rich composition. Apophis, composed of stony metal-rich material, has been closely monitored since its discovery. <\/p>\n

\"ThisThis view of Earth was captured approximately nine hours after OSIRIS-APEX\u2019s closest approach to the planet. Credit: NASA\/Goddard\/University of Arizona<\/p>\n

Once considered a potential threat due to its projected path, scientists now view Apophis<\/a> as an opportunity to learn more about the formation and behavior of asteroids. According to mission planners, OSIRIS-APEX will be the first mission to document how an asteroid responds to a close pass by Earth\u2019s gravity, set to occur in 2029.<\/p>\n

The Flyby: A Crucial Maneuver to Boost the Mission<\/p>\n

The September 2025 flyby of Earth was a critical maneuver for OSIRIS-APEX. The spacecraft used Earth\u2019s gravity to boost its speed and change its course toward Apophis. This gravity-assist technique is common in deep-space missions to conserve fuel and improve trajectory efficiency. <\/p>\n

\"ToTo ensure the safe storage of the asteroid sample during OSIRIS-APEX\u2019s primary mission, StowCam captures both still images and video footage. Credit: NASA\/Goddard\/University of Arizona\/Lockheed Martin<\/p>\n

OSIRIS-APEX passed just 2,136 miles above Earth during the flyby, providing incredible views of the planet. This was also an important moment for the mission, confirming that the spacecraft\u2019s instruments, including its MapCam and StowCam, are fully operational. These instruments, which captured high-resolution images, will be crucial for studying Apophis in detail once the spacecraft arrives at the asteroid.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it was first discovered in 2004, there was concern that it would impact the Earth in 2029 during its close approach. That risk was retired after subsequent observations\u201d, explained Planetary sciences assistant professor, Dani DellaGiustina<\/a>. \u201cBut it will be the closest an asteroid of this size has gotten in the 50 or so years asteroids have been closely tracked, or for the next 100 years of asteroids we have discovered so far.\u201d<\/p>\n

What\u2019s Ahead: Studying Apophis in 2029<\/p>\n

In 2029, OSIRIS-APEX will approach Apophis and begin its detailed study of the asteroid. Based on a report published by the University of Arizona<\/a>, the spacecraft will spend about 18 months mapping the asteroid\u2019s surface and studying its composition. The spacecraft will also capture high-resolution images of Apophis and investigate how the asteroid reacts to the gravitational pull of Earth. <\/p>\n

One of the mission\u2019s most exciting goals is to hover just above the asteroid\u2019s surface and fire its thrusters downward to stir up dust, revealing fresh material that has been hidden beneath the surface. These findings will help scientists better understand the history of asteroids and their role in the solar system\u2019s formation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"NASA\u2019s OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft has captured breathtaking images of Earth as it passed by the planet on September 23,…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":169156,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[61,60,82,247],"class_list":{"0":"post-169155","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-space","8":"tag-ie","9":"tag-ireland","10":"tag-science","11":"tag-space"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169155","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=169155"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/169155\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/169156"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=169155"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=169155"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=169155"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}