“Potentially dangerous” asteroid Nereus will not bring the end of the world in December

Asteroid 4660 Nereus is the size of the Eiffel Tower and is classified as a “potentially dangerous” asteroid due to its size and proximity to Earth. On December 11, it will pass through the nearest point that has passed through the Earth in the last twenty years. Despite the impressive media headlines, however, the Earth is safe since the 330-meter asteroid will pass at a distance of 4 million kilometers from Earth. A short distance if we take into account cosmic data, but it remains ten times farther from us than the Moon.

The interest for 4660 Nereus, however, lies in the composition of the asteroid. It is rich in nickel, iron and cobalt and is the ideal candidate for mining, precisely because of its proximity to Earth. Unfortunately, there is no scheduled mission for its upcoming passage. The Asterank asteroid database, however, ranks it among the most cost-effective asteroids.

A robotic spacecraft would take about a year to reach the asteroid, however if the financial interest from private companies is enough, we will probably see some mining mission during the asteroid’s next transit from Earth in 2031.

Unboxholics

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