The asteroid Apophis was considered large enough to destroy any part of Russia

Astronomer Zheleznov said that the asteroid Apophis is large enough to destroy any region of Russia

According to senior researcher at the Institute of Applied Astronomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences Nikolai Zheleznov, the asteroid Apophis, which will fly near the Earth in 2029, does not pose a global threat. Even in the event of a collision with our planet, this asteroid is too small to cause a global catastrophe, but it can destroy an area comparable to some regions of Russia.

Zheleznov explained that for a global catastrophe, an asteroid about one and a half kilometers in diameter is required. Apophis has a size of about 300 meters and is guaranteed to reach the Earth’s surface. The asteroid was discovered in 2004, and according to the latest calculations, it will fly by at a distance of 32 thousand kilometers from Earth on April 13, 2029, which is approximately the height of geostationary satellites.

The scientist compared Apophis with the Chelyabinsk fireball and noted that it is about 10 times larger than it. Therefore, in the event of a hypothetical collision with the Earth, the explosion of Apophis can be a thousand times more powerful than the explosion of the Chelyabinsk meteorite, which did not reach the Earth’s surface. The explosion power of Apophis is estimated at tens of megatons, which is enough to destroy any state or region.

Zheleznov also mentioned that if Apophis falls into the ocean, a giant tsunami will arise that will wrap around the Earth several times. Waves will reach several hundred meters, and possibly even a kilometer. They will wash away the entire coastline.