Asteroid 4660 Nereus, roughly the size of the Eiffel Tower at 330 meters wide, will make a close approach to Earth soon. Experts at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory confirm it poses absolutely no risk, offering a prime chance for astronomers to study it up close.
Just weeks ago, asteroid 2021 TG14 passed within 250,000 km of Earth. Some get even closer, like 2020 JJ in May 2020, which flew by at only 13,400 km—discovered late despite its modest 2.7-6 meter size and blistering 51,000 km/h speed.
As reported by Science Alert on December 2, 2021, Nereus will cross Earth's orbit on December 11. NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory estimates its diameter at 330 meters, akin to the Eiffel Tower's 324-meter height.
Nereus is an Apollo-class near-Earth asteroid under close watch. The last such event was on March 22, 2011, at 66 million kilometers—far too distant for concern.
Nereus presents no danger and won't in the future. It's classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA) due to its size over 140 meters and approach within 7.5 million km. This flyby at about four million kilometers—over ten times the Earth-Moon distance—is close by cosmic standards but entirely safe.
Beyond its size and proximity, Nereus intrigues scientists with its regular visits. December 11 offers a rare observation window; its next pass comes March 2, 2031, at 17 million kilometers.
