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New 6x11 foot 'mini-moon' orbiting Earth -- for now, astronomers say (rare)
https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/new-mini-moon-orbiting-earth-now-astronomers-say-n1143596
Feb. 26, 2020, 3:18 PM EST
By Denise Chow
A visiting mini-moon is circling Earth, according to astronomers who discovered the cosmic squatter in our planet’s orbit.
The tiny asteroid, dubbed 2020 CD3, was spotted by astronomers in Tucson, Arizona, on Feb. 15.
“BIG NEWS,” Kacper Wierzchos, a researcher with the Catalina Sky Survey at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Lab, tweeted Tuesday. “Earth has a new temporarily captured object/Possible mini-moon called 2020 CD3. On the night of Feb. 15, my Catalina Sky Survey teammate Teddy Pruyne and I found a 20th magnitude object.”
Wierzchos said the object measures about 6 feet to 11 feet across, and its orbit suggests that it entered Earth’s orbit around three years ago.
He added that the discovery is a “big deal” because out of roughly 1 million known space rocks, this is “just the second asteroid known to orbit Earth (after 2006 RH120, which was also discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey).”
</snip>
Feb. 26, 2020, 3:18 PM EST
By Denise Chow
A visiting mini-moon is circling Earth, according to astronomers who discovered the cosmic squatter in our planet’s orbit.
The tiny asteroid, dubbed 2020 CD3, was spotted by astronomers in Tucson, Arizona, on Feb. 15.
“BIG NEWS,” Kacper Wierzchos, a researcher with the Catalina Sky Survey at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Lab, tweeted Tuesday. “Earth has a new temporarily captured object/Possible mini-moon called 2020 CD3. On the night of Feb. 15, my Catalina Sky Survey teammate Teddy Pruyne and I found a 20th magnitude object.”
Wierzchos said the object measures about 6 feet to 11 feet across, and its orbit suggests that it entered Earth’s orbit around three years ago.
He added that the discovery is a “big deal” because out of roughly 1 million known space rocks, this is “just the second asteroid known to orbit Earth (after 2006 RH120, which was also discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey).”
Link to tweet
Kacper Wierzchos @WierzchosKacper
BIG NEWS (thread 1/3). Earth has a new temporarily captured object/Possible mini-moon called 2020 CD3. On the night of Feb. 15, my Catalina Sky Survey teammate Teddy Pruyne and I found a 20th magnitude object. Here are the discovery images.
Embedded video
7:20 PM - Feb 25, 2020
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6 replies
= new reply since forum marked as read
= new reply since forum marked as read
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_RH120
2006 RH120 is a tiny near-Earth asteroid and fast rotator with a diameter of approximately 2–3 meters that ordinarily orbits the Sun but makes close approaches to the Earth–Moon system around every twenty years, when it can temporarily enter Earth orbit through temporary satellite capture (TSC). Most recently, it was in Earth orbit from September 2006 to June 2007. As a consequence of its temporary orbit around the Earth, it is currently the smallest asteroid in the Solar System with a well-known orbit.
Until given a minor planet designation on 18 February 2008, the object was known as 6R10DB9, an internal identification number assigned by the Catalina Sky Survey.
2006 RH120 is a tiny near-Earth asteroid and fast rotator with a diameter of approximately 2–3 meters that ordinarily orbits the Sun but makes close approaches to the Earth–Moon system around every twenty years, when it can temporarily enter Earth orbit through temporary satellite capture (TSC). Most recently, it was in Earth orbit from September 2006 to June 2007. As a consequence of its temporary orbit around the Earth, it is currently the smallest asteroid in the Solar System with a well-known orbit.
Until given a minor planet designation on 18 February 2008, the object was known as 6R10DB9, an internal identification number assigned by the Catalina Sky Survey.