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'Potentially hazardous' asteroid to approach Earth

Space Asteroid Chase
Posted at 5:22 PM, Dec 10, 2021
and last updated 2021-12-11 16:14:13-05

An asteroid will reportedly reach Earth's orbit this weekend.

According to The Hill, the asteroid, 4660 Nereus, will come within 2.5 million miles of Earth on Saturday. That's about 10 times the distance between Earth and the moon.

The asteroid is considered “potentially hazardous” because of how close it will get to Earth— not because it will make impact with the planet.

NASA recently launched its first full-scale planetary defense test.

The goal of the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) is to adjust the speed and path of an asteroid by using kinetic impactor technology. Scientists hope to learn whether they can alter an asteroid's trajectory in case one is on a collision course with Earth.

The asteroid DART will be targeting is not the same one that will be passing by Earth on Saturday.