State of the Planet

News from the Columbia Climate School

Apophis

Images of Apophis. Image: BBC World Service
Images of Apophis from BBC World Service

You may have heard the recent cries:
An asteroid towards us flies!
Apophis, a rocky mass,
Some years from now will closely pass,
Into the “keyhole,” if she falls,
The president will get some calls.
Chances that this fate arrive?
0.000005

_______________________________

Further reading:

Apophis asteroid: Large space rock flies past Earth, BBC News, Jan. 9, 2013

This is one in a series of poems based on science news, written by Katherine Allen, a researcher in geochemistry and paleoclimate at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. “Lake Goo Clue” first appeared on Allen’s website on Jan. 11, 2013.

Photo of the Earth from space with the text "Lamont at AGU25" on top.

AGU25, the premier Earth and space science conference, takes place December 15-19, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana. This year’s theme—Where Science Connects Us—puts in focus how science depends on connection, from the lab to the field to the ballot box. Once again, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and Columbia Climate School scientists, experts, students, and educators are playing an active role, sharing our research and helping shape the future of our planet. #AGU25 Learn More

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