According to Nasa, a massive asteroid bigger than the size of the Eiffel Tower is expected to break into the orbit of Earth in over a week. The massive 1,082-foot space rock is on its way to earth and should pass the earth by December 11.
Asteroid 4660 Nereus, which is well over 492 feet long and is expected to come within 4.6 million miles of Earth, has caught Nasa's attention. This categorizes it as possibly dangerous.
Is There a Reason to be Alarmed?
There's no need to be alarmed since Asteroid Nereus isn't predicted to impact Earth. If all goes according to plan, it should move past Earth at 14,700 miles per hour, as per The Sun.
According to Nasa, the space rock is expected to remain 2.4 million miles away from the earth. This is around ten times the distance between the Earth and the Moon. Although it seems to be a long-distance away, it is really rather close in terms of near-Earth asteroids.
According to Nasa, anything traveling within 120 million miles of Earth is classified as a Near-Earth Object (NEO)
Thousands of NEOs are being watched by experts to see whether they're on their way to collide with Earth.
Nasa has a complete table full of them, which it updates on a regular basis. The conservative space agencies consider any fast-moving space object that comes within 4.65 million miles to be "possibly hazardous." The earth might face calamity if their paths vary even slightly.
Also Read: Experts Wants US to Increase Planetary Defense Against a Potential Asteroid Threat
The Discovery of Asteroid Nereus
Astronomer Eleanor Helin Discovered the Asteroid Nereus in 1982.
After its discovery, Nasa and the Japanese space agency (JAXA) once contemplated 'punching' the asteroid nereus off course using the Hayabusa mission since it passes by Earth repeatedly.
Instead, as part of their Double Asteroid Redirection Test, the space agencies have decided to target asteroid 25143 Itokawa.
In other news, Nasa intends to build a nuclear power station on the Moon within the next ten years. It's recommended that Android users make certain changes to their phone's privacy settings after a recent update that could expose their device.
In addition, scientists are using Mars' winds to map out the first full image of how the planet originated three billion years ago.
The Perfect Asteroid For Mining
According to a 2009 article, a team of academics concluded that Nereus was an excellent option for a rendezvous mission.
Mining might possibly be a great use for this planet. One of the most cost-effective asteroids for mining minerals is Nereus, according to Asterank. An estimated billions of dollars worth of nickel, iron, and cobalt might be found in this stadium-sized planet.
It's not out of the question that these minerals may be mined by robots and utilized to create batteries that power outposts on the moon or elsewhere in space.
With NASA and SpaceX pressing forward with plans to create a lunar base and Jeff Bezos discussing the possibility of taking industry into space, Nereus may soon be back on the radar.
Related Article: Asteroid the Size of London Eye Bound to Cross Earth's Orbit, Are We Prepared?
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