Scientists discover new 'mini moon' orbiting Earth
An amateur astronomer first observed a celestial object orbiting the Earth. It would actually be a “mini moon”.
The Moon is not the only celestial body which undergoes the effects of terrestrial attraction. A growing number of artificial satellites orbit the blue planet and send us valuable information. But in the middle of this ocean of technology, we can find some natural satellites, which orbit around the Earth for more or less long periods. This is the case of a small piece of rock, which an astronomer managed to observe from the Crimea.
?A third moon
Does our Moon have rivals? The answer is yes and no. Every now and then, scientists think of discovering new moons orbiting our planet, but with a few exceptions, these were not mini-moons (or quasi-moons, to use the scientific term) per se, but rather debris. or dust, not massive enough to have the right to bear this honorary title.
Recently, two stars had the honor of joining this private club: 2006 RH120 and 2020 CD3. A third mini moon has just been identified.
This is the name of this new mini moon. You guessed it, the “2022” is the year it was discovered. Indeed, this star would have been seen for the first time on December 16, 2022 by amateur astronomer Gennadiy Borisov, before being observed in various places on the planet by other scientists.
With a diameter of 15 to 30 meters, this mini moon has a particularity: it should orbit the Earth until 2181 before being released from its embrace. Indeed, the other mini moons have the annoying tendency to orbit around the Earth for a very short period of time.
Source: websites