Global Giveaway - Win 1 of 3 ID-Cooling High-Performance Coolers, open worldwide until Dec 9

Huge asteroid to approach Earth very soon, 'potentially hazardous'

An asteroid larger than a typical space rock will be approaching Earth soon, and it's classified as 'potentially hazardous'.

Comment IconFacebook IconX IconReddit Icon
Junior Editor
Published
Updated
& 45 seconds read time

Researchers have identified an asteroid that is scheduled to make a relatively close approach to Earth very soon.

Huge asteroid to approach Earth very soon, 'potentially hazardous' 01

The asteroid is 4660 Nereus, and it measures in at a whopping 1,083 feet in diameter, which is just shy of the height of the Empire State Building. 4660 Nereus was first discovered back in 1982, and every 10 years or so, the massive asteroid flies relatively close by Earth which makes it a perfect candidate for asteroid missions. Next week on December 11, 4660, Nereus will pass by Earth at a safe distance of 2.44 million miles, which is a little over 10 times the distance between Earth and the Moon.

4660 Nereus is officially classified as a "potentially hazardous" object, as is any asteroid that passes 4.65 million miles of Earth and has a diameter larger than 500 feet. Reports indicate that the next approach 4660 Nereus makes will be the closest it has made in decades, and the next time that it will come close to Earth will be on February 14, 2060. If you are interested in reading more about asteroids, or comets, check out this link here.

Photo of the NASA Actually It Is Rocket Science T-Shirt
Best Deals: NASA Actually It Is Rocket Science T-Shirt
Country flag Today 7 days ago 30 days ago
Loading... Loading...
Buy
* Prices last scanned on 12/3/2024 at 4:47 pm CST - prices may not be accurate, click links above for the latest price. We may earn an affiliate commission from any sales.
NEWS SOURCE:sciencealert.com

Junior Editor

Email IconX IconLinkedIn Icon

Jak joined the TweakTown team in 2017 and has since reviewed 100s of new tech products and kept us informed daily on the latest science, space, and artificial intelligence news. Jak's love for science, space, and technology, and, more specifically, PC gaming, began at 10 years old. It was the day his dad showed him how to play Age of Empires on an old Compaq PC. Ever since that day, Jak fell in love with games and the progression of the technology industry in all its forms.

Related Topics

Newsletter Subscription