Astrology

Earth has captured a tiny asteroid as a temporary mini-moon.

Earth's gravity has captured a small asteroid called 2026 QQ8 in a temporary orbit, EarthSky reports. The object appears to have become bound to the planet in late April, and astronomers have since confirmed that it is natural rather than a piece of discarded space hardware.

Hungarian astronomer Krisztián Sárneczky first spotted the object on August 20, according to Gizmodo. The Minor Planet Center reported the discovery on October 29, EarthSky says. The rock measures about 3 feet, or 1 meter, across.

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Telescopes helped identify the object#

Astronomers initially considered whether 2026 QQ8 might be debris from a rocket or an old satellite, EarthSky reports. Follow-up observations using the University of Hawaii 2.2-meter telescope and the Lowell Discovery Telescope helped establish that it was a natural object, likely a small asteroid.

The object follows a wide, kidney-shaped loop around Earth, according to Gizmodo. According to EarthSky, the object comes no closer than 0.0038 astronomical units, roughly one and a half times the Earth-to-moon distance. The outlet says there is no collision concern.

A temporary satellite is an object held in a planet's gravitational field for a limited period, according to Wikipedia. Space reports that these small asteroids can eventually escape and return to an orbit around the sun.

Mini-moons offer clues about asteroids#

The asteroid 2020 CD3 was another temporary companion to Earth, remaining bound by the planet's gravity for several years before leaving, according to Sawt Al Emarat. The outlet says studying such objects can help astronomers examine the composition and physical properties of near-Earth asteroids.

Grigori Fedorets of the University of Helsinki said a typical mini-moon stays for about nine months and circles Earth roughly three times before escaping, Space reports. His modeling suggests that the largest mini-moon around Earth at a given moment is typically about 75 centimeters, or 30 inches, across.

EarthSky reports that 2026 QQ8 is expected to remain near Earth through December before continuing through the solar system in 2027. Its orbital data also points to another close approach in 2058, though the object is not expected to become a temporary satellite on that visit.

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