The large asteroid Apophis, during its closest approach to Earth on April 13, 2029, will pass over the territory of Russia. According to astronomer Sergei Yazev, a leading researcher at the Institute of Solar-Terrestrial Physics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, residents of the country will be able to observe it — including without special equipment.

The object will be seen best in the Asian part of Russia: over Siberia, Krasnoyarsk Krai, Yakutia, and Kamchatka. At the same time, it will be possible to view the asteroid even more clearly with binoculars or a telescope.

Apophis is one of the most famous near-Earth asteroids. Its diameter is about 350 meters, and at the moment of approach it will pass at a distance of approximately 32 thousand kilometers from Earth — which is very close by cosmic standards.

Because of this, the event is already attracting great interest among scientists. Several missions are preparing for the flyby at once: NASA's OSIRIS-APEX spacecraft, which is already in flight, and the European RAMSES mission.

Russian scientists are also considering the possibility of sending their own spacecraft to the asteroid — it will be able to take images and, in the future, possibly even attempt to collect soil samples.