Boris Shustov, a Russian astronomer and director of the Institute of Astronomy, reported the possibility of the Apophis asteroid becoming a threat in 2029 as it crosses Earth's orbit. This was announced in a recent press release by the Novosti new agency.

Don't expect Bruce Willis or any other heroic astronauts to try and blow up the asteroid, though. Shustov said that doing so would likely cause more harm than good. Instead he proposed using a micro-satellite to nudge it into a safer orbit instead.

He elaborated the plan saying: "To blast an asteroid, as some hot shots suggest, is quite an unpredictable step, and a more cautious approach is welcomed now."

The predicted impact is estimated to be even more powerful than the Tunguska asteroid that hit Siberia during 1908. Considering that the Tunguska event contained a force about 1,000 times more powerful than the atomic bomb that the United States dropped on Hiroshima, this could spell dire news for the planet indeed.