SpaceMiningData

Apophis in 3D

Turn a preliminary shape of asteroid Apophis, built from ground-based radar images. It shows the asteroid's overall form and size, not its boulders, and nothing about what it is made of.

Asteroid Apophis as a smooth, lumpy grey shape without visible boulders, lit from one side against black space.
Shape: Lawrence, K.J., and Benner, L.A.M. (2026), Radar shape model of asteroid (99942) Apophis V1.0, urn:nasa:pds:gbo.ast-apophis.jpl.radar.shape_model::1.0, NASA Planetary Data System, doi:10.26033/ydyq-5756, based on Brozović and others (2018). Converted for this page by SpaceMiningData from kilometres to metres and to the glTF format, keeping every triangle; the conversion is ours.

The shape file is about 49 KB. Opening the 3D view also downloads viewer code. Drag to turn it. On a touch screen, use two fingers to turn and zoom and one to scroll the page.

What this shape shows, and what it does not

The shape

This is a preliminary shape model of Apophis, based on ground-based radar images from December 2012 to March 2013 reported by Brozović and others in 2018. NASA's Planetary Data System published it on 20 February 2026. Source: Radar shape model of asteroid (99942) Apophis · (99942) Apophis 3-D radar shape model, data label

The archive describes this shape as based on ground-based radar images. Bennu's and Ryugu's shapes on this site were built from data that spacecraft gathered near those asteroids. Source: Radar shape model of asteroid (99942) Apophis

Top and side refer to this model's display axes. This page does not identify north.

Measured along this model's fixed axes, its spans are about 410 × 349 × 318 m.

This copy contains 3,996 triangles, with an average edge length of about 16 m. Nothing much smaller than that can show in it, and these numbers do not establish how accurately larger features are drawn.

Missions in this dataset that name Apophis

Karman+ says its first mission, a technology demonstration, is going to Apophis. The record gives a mid-2028 launch slot and rendezvous in 2030, and the mission has not launched.

The record also notes Apophis's close approach to Earth on 13 April 2029.

After delivering its Bennu sample, NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft continues as OSIRIS-APEX toward Apophis (2029).

The shape here is plain grey. Nothing on it is coloured by composition.

Karman+ Mission 1 record · OSIRIS-REx mission record

Three asteroids at one scale

Three grey asteroid shapes in a row against black space, drawn at the same scale: Ryugu, large and diamond-shaped; Bennu, about half as wide and also diamond-shaped; and Apophis, smaller, lumpier and smoother.
Left to right: Ryugu, about 1,019 m across; Bennu, about 567 m across; Apophis, about 410 m across. One scale and one light for all three. Apophis's shape is a preliminary radar model, so it shows far less surface detail than the other two. Shapes: Ryugu from ISAS/JAXA (Watanabe and others, 2019; University of Aizu, JAXA & collaborators); Bennu from NASA's Scientific Visualization Studio, OSIRIS-REx data (NASA/University of Arizona/CSA/York University/MDA); Apophis from Lawrence and Benner (2026), NASA Planetary Data System, a preliminary radar model. Converted to metres and rendered together by SpaceMiningData; the pictures are ours.

Sources and credit

Everything in 3D · Where the asteroids are, in 3D · Asteroid targets · Has anyone delivered a resource?