WASHINGTON: A space rock popularly dubbed the “doomsday asteroid” because of fears it could smash into Earth a couple of decades from now poses no risk, NASA said after new observations of the object.
Asteroid 99942 Apophis was scanned by optical telescopes and deep-space radars as it made a flyby this week, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said in a press release.
Named after a figure in Egyptian mythology, Apophis sparked a scare when it was first detected in 2004.
Early calculations suggested a 2.7-percent probability of collision in 2029, the highest ever for a detected asteroid, but this risk was soon discarded after further observations.
A question mark, though, remained over an impact for April 13, 2036, which NASA initially put at one in 45,000 and then lowered to one in 250,000.
The new observations show that even this remote probability can be excluded, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) said in the statement Thursday.
“With the new data... we have effectively ruled out the possibility of an Earth impact by Apophis in 2036,” said Don Yeomans, in charge of the JPL’s Near-Earth Object Program.
“The impact odds as they stand now are less than one in a million, which makes us comfortable saying we can effectively rule out an Earth impact in 2036. Our interest in asteroid Apophis will essentially be for its scientific interest for the foreseeable future.”
The 2036 flyby will be the closest of an asteroid of this size, for Apophis will come within 31,300 kilometers (19,400 miles), meaning that it will zip within the ring of geostationary orbits.
On Feb. 15, asteroid 2012 DA14 will come even closer.
Yeomans said DA14 was 40 meters (130 feet) across and would skim the planet at just 27,500 kilometers (17,200 miles).
Images of Apophis captured this week by the European Space Agency’s Herschel telescope found it measured around 325m (1,056 feet) across, about a fifth bigger than previously thought.
‘Doomsday asteroid’ poses no threat to Earth, NASA says
‘Doomsday asteroid’ poses no threat to Earth, NASA says
Lindsay Lohan steps out in Dubai
DUBAI: Dubai-based Hollywood star Lindsay Lohan was spotted in the city this week alongside her husband, Kuwaiti financier Bader Shammas, as the couple stepped out in coordinated black looks.
Lohan was wearing a sleek black long-sleeved mini dress with a high neckline and softly draped silhouette, featuring gathered ruching across the skirt with a tie detail at the waist. She paired the look with pointed black heels and kept her accessories minimal, opting for delicate earrings and a statement ring from Italian fine jewelry label Bijouq.
The couple were attending the opening of Japanese restaurant Nobu’s new outpost at One Za’abeel.
Lohan has been based in Dubai for more than 10 years, where she has built a quieter, more private life away from Hollywood.
She married Shammas in 2022, and the couple welcomed their first child, a son named Luai, in 2023.
The actress has since continued to balance family life in the UAE with her acting career, including her recent return to film and television projects.
Lohan most recently starred in “Freakier Friday,” the Disney sequel to “Freaky Friday,” which was released in August 2025 and marked her return to theatrical film acting alongside Jamie Lee Curtis.
It follows another body-swap chaos — this time across generations. Lohan and Lee Curtis return as Anna and Tess, but the story expands to include Anna’s own daughter, creating a multi-generational switch that complicates family dynamics even further.
The film explores motherhood, identity and how perspectives change as roles reverse again.
Lohan is also set to star in and executive-produce the Hulu limited series “Count My Lies,” an adaptation of Sophie Stava’s novel that is currently in development and marks one of her first major television roles.
She will play Violet Lockhart alongside co-lead Shailene Woodley, who stars as Sloane Caraway, a compulsive liar whose small deceptions land her a job as a nanny for the seemingly perfect Lockhart family. Kit Harington has also joined the cast in a leading role.
As Sloane becomes increasingly entangled in Violet and her husband Jay’s world, hidden secrets begin to unravel, revealing dangerous truths beneath the family’s polished exterior. The series does not yet have an official release date.
