Earth takes a new ‘mini-moon’, astronomers say

The mass – about 1.9-3.5 meters (6-11 feet) in diameter – was observed by researchers Kacper Wierzchos and Teddy Pruyne at the Sky Catalina Study in Arizona on the night of February 15th.

Le Agence France-Presse | Washington

UPDATE ON FEB 27, 2020 07:38 PM IST

Earth has had a second “small moon” about the size of a car, according to astronomers who saw the object orbiting our planet.

The mass – about 1.9-3.5 meters (6-11 feet) in diameter – was observed by researchers Kacper Wierzchos and Teddy Pruyne at the Sky Catalina Study in Arizona on the night of February 15th.

“BIG NEWS. There is a new thing temporarily captured on Earth / Miniature that could be called the 2020 CD3, ”which is likely to be a type C asteroid, Wierzchos tweeted Wednesday.

The astronaut said it was a “big deal” because “this is only the second known asteroid on Earth’s orbit (after the 2006 RH120, also discovered by the Catalina Sky Study).” ”

His path suggests that he entered Earth’s orbit three years ago, he said.

The Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Mini-Planetary Center, which collects data on mini-planets and asteroids, said in a news release that “no known artificial object has been found,” meaning it appeared to be an asteroid. captured by the heaviness of the Earth.

“Orbit integration shows that this object is temporarily connected to Earth. ”

Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk said the Telsa Roadster’s car launch into space in 2018, which is now orbiting the sun, is not the size of the car.

“It’s not me,” he tweeted.

Earth’s new neighbor is not in a stable orbit around the planet and is unlikely to be orbiting for a long time.

“It’s moving away from the Earth’s lunar system as we speak,” Grigori Fedorets, a researcher at Queen’s University of Northern Ireland, told the journal New Scientist, which was likely to escape. in April.

The only other asteroid called Earth ‘s orbit, 2006 RH120, was orbited on the planet from September 2006 to June 2007.

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