THE date for Armageddon has been set - and it's not going to happen in 2012, so say Russian scientists.

The scientists claim April 13, 2036 is the day that the Apophis asteroid is most likely to hit the earth.

"Apophis will approach Earth at a distance of 37,000-38,000 kilometers on April 13, 2029," Professor Leonid Sokolov of the St Petersburg State University told Ria Novosti.

"Its likely collision with Earth may occur on April 13, 2036."

You might have noticed he used the word "may."

Asteroid 99942 Apophis was first discovered to be in the earth's impact zone back in 2004, and at roughly 300m wide, is estimated to be able to hit the earth with the force equivalent to somewhere around two Krakatoas.

Apophis could land anywhere in a streak that runs from the Middle East through the tip of South America to the west coast of Africa, according to a paper delivered to the 2007 Planetary Defense Conference.