January 1, Massive ‘Potentially Dangerous’ Asteroid Will Enter Earth’s Orbit Next Week

NASA said that a “potentially hazardous” asteroid the size of the Eiffel Tower is currently barreling towards Earth.

The asteroid 4660 Nereus earned its classification because of its proximity to Earth. NASA predicts it will be at its closest point to our planet on December 11, since its 1982 discovery.

The 330-meter asteroid will come within 2.5 million miles — or roughly ten times farther away from the moon. While that might sound like an incredible distance, it’s considered close by cosmic standards.

According to Asterank, a database that monitors over 600,000 asteroids, Nereus’s value is roughly $4.71 billion. The rock is thought to contain billions of dollars worth of nickel, iron, and cobalt.

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NASA says huge, ‘potentially hazardous’ asteroid will break into Earth’s orbit next week