Mikhail Maslov, an engineer at the "Vega" observatory of Novosibirsk State University, reported that specialists have not yet discovered all asteroids that could pose a threat to Earth. According to him, the problem lies in the limited capabilities of observation systems: astronomers continue to discover smaller and smaller objects, but existing instruments are not always able to detect them.
At the same time, Maslov emphasized that almost all large asteroids in near-Earth orbits, a collision with which could lead to devastating consequences, are already known. Calculating trajectories and assessing the risk of collision with Earth for such objects is a quite feasible task for specialists.
Of particular interest to scientists is the asteroid Apophis, discovered in 2004. Its close approach to Earth is expected on April 13, 2029 – the skyscraper-sized object will pass at a distance of only 32 thousand kilometers from the planet. Although the sensitivity of observation systems is gradually improving, progress in this area is not as fast as astronomers would like.
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