Asteroid worth nearly 5 billion USD is rushing to Earth

Asteroid 4660 Nereus carrying a large metal reserve worth $ 4.71 billion is expected to enter Earth's orbit on December 11.

According to the US Space Agency (NASA), asteroid 4660 Nereus, more than 330 m long, is rushing towards Earth at a speed of about 23,700 km / h. However, scientists do not think this asteroid will pose a danger to Earth.

4660 Nereus will enter Earth's orbit on December 11th.

At this next approach, 4660 Nereus will be 3.86 million kilometers from Earth, 10 times the distance between Earth and the Moon. This meteorite is classified by NASA as a "near-Earth object" and "potentially hazardous".

First discovered in 1982, its 1.82-year orbit around the Sun causes 4660 Nereus to pass by Earth every 10 years.

According to NASA calculations, this asteroid's next approach to Earth will fall on March 2, 2031, the next time is November, 2050. By February 2060, 4660 Nereus will move into Earth's orbit with a distance of only about 1.2 million km.

4660 Nereus is also a potential target for scientists to explore space. A database that tracks 600,000 asteroids estimates the meteorite to have US$4.71 billion worth of nickel, iron and cobalt reserves.

The Japanese space agency JAXA considered collecting samples from 4660 Nereus using the Hayabusa spacecraft, but then changed course to another asteroid, 25143 Itokawa.