The International Astronomical Union named the asteroid spinning around Earth a temporary captured object and, for the time being, it’s acting like a tinier version of our moon. Astronomers discovered this mini-moon on February 15 using the Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona, and ten days later, the IAU filed it as 2020 CD3.
“Orbit integrations…indicate that this object is temporarily bound to the Earth,” the IAU filing reads. “No evidence of perturbations due to solar radiation pressure is seen, and no link to a known artificial object has been found. Further observations and dynamical studies are strongly encouraged.”
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You read that right: no link to artificial objects has been found meaning this is likely a straggler space rock hurtling through the solar system, and not a gift from aliens or smugglers in space. We also know it doesn’t belong to Elon Musk because he said so on Twitter shortly after the announcement.
Astronomer Kacper Wierzchos shared the news on Twitter, explaining a bit more about 2020 CD3.
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. pic.twitter.com/zLkXyGAkZl
— Kacper Wierzchos (@WierzchosKacper) February 26, 2020
Wierzchos expanded on his first tweet, explaining that 2020 CD3 has actually been in Earth’s orbit for three years. The mini-moon has a diameter between 1.9 meters and 3.5 meters based on his assumption that it’s a C-type asteroid albedo.
“But it’s a big deal as out of ~1 million known asteroids, this is just the second asteroid to orbit Earth,” Wierzchos said.
The first asteroid to orbit earth was 2006 RH120. This asteroid completed a few trips around Earth from 2006 to 2007 before it left the planet’s orbit and continued on elsewhere in the solar system. As the discovery is still somewhat new, not much is known of the object, although we imagine astronomers like Wierzchos and NASA will have their eyes glued to while it remains in orbit.
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For more on space, be sure to check out the new method MIT engineers have found to deflect asteroids, a “potentially hazardous” asteroid that was headed towards earth, and the sad fate of an asteroid belt may face in six billion years.
Baby Yoda was cute, but we’re Team #BabyMoon now.
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Wesley LeBlanc is a freelance news writer and guide maker for IGN who hates that he has to pick a side in the great Baby Yoda vs. Baby Moon debate. You can follow him on Twitter @LeBlancWes.