NASA has warned that an asteroid the size of the Eiffel Tower is hurtling towards our planet in December. However, there’s no need for earthlings to be worried, as the space agency asteroid tracker says that “potentially hazardous” space rock will only pass within 2.4 million miles of our planet on December 11.

Although the 330m wide asteroid, called “4660 Nereus,” is unlikely to pose any threat, it is predicted to make 12 more close passes in the coming decades. The closest approach the egg-shaped asteroid will make is said to be on February 14, 2060, when it will just be less than 745,645 miles away.

Potential asteroid for future mining

The space rock was first discovered in 1982, and due to its close orbit to our planet, it is considered potentially accessible by spacecraft. NASA’s Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous-Shoemaker (NEAR) robotic mission and Japanese Hayabusa mission have considered Nereus as a potential target, before choosing other options.

Three nations have previously landed spacecraft on asteroids and they will be future targets for future mining operations. Recently, UAE also announced plans for missions to explore asteroids, and would become the first Arab country to do so. Their missions are slated to start in 2028 and will include the exploration of seven asteroids as well as Venus.

Close encounters with asteroids

Previously, an asteroid said to be a size of a truck flew past our planet just hours after it was discovered. It passed closer to our planet’s surface than the ring of large communications satellites in orbit. The asteroid came within 16,000 kilometers of the Earth’s surface.

Besides, scientists have estimated that one of two metallic asteroids floating in Earth’s proximity might feature precious metals worth around $11.65 trillion. These asteroids could have more iron, nickel, and cobalt than Earth’s global metal reserves.

Referred to as metal-rich near-Earth asteroids, these rare mineral deposits could be over a mile wide. The one believed to be abundant with metal is named 1986 DA, and the other 2016 ED85. The duo “could be possible targets for asteroid mining in the future,” as per the new analysis.