Asteroids are approaching Earth’s orbit. Photo/REUTERS
Asteroid 4660 Nereus is expected to enter Earth’s orbit on December 11, closer to our planet than ever before.
“But there is no reason to panic,” said Boris Shustov, who heads the Institute of Astronomy at the Russian Academy of Sciences.
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“The asteroid will pass about 4.6 million miles away from Earth, which is about 10 times the distance between the Moon and Earth, so there is no risk to speak of,” Shustov told RIA Novosti.
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What makes it special is not its larger-than-usual size (the equivalent of three football fields), but its unique 1.82-year orbit around the Sun. Nereus approaches Earth at a safe distance roughly every 10 years because of this.
According to scientists, the asteroids that pass regularly make them perfect candidates for future robotic missions, and even mining operations as they are believed to be rich in nickel, iron and cobalt.
While it currently poses no threat, Nereus is closely monitored by the space agency to ensure it doesn’t stray from its path.
As part of its work to protect the planet from catastrophic encounters with large space objects, NASA last week launched a mission called the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART).
The mission will try to crash two asteroids into each other to change their course, with an actual impact scheduled for next September.
(sya)
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