Earth has acquired a brand new moon

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Earth has acquired a brand new moon that's about the size of a car

Quote

Earth might have a tiny new moon. On 19 February, astronomers at the Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona spotted a dim object moving quickly across the sky. Over the next few days, researchers at six more observatories around the world watched the object, designated 2020 CD3, and calculated its orbit, confirming that it has been gravitationally bound to Earth for about three years.

Read More: New Scientist

[+joc]

52 minutes ago, Waspie_Dwarf said:

Earth has acquired a brand new moon that's about the size of a car

Wait....are we sure that isn't a Tesla?      

[Waspie_Dwarf]

18 minutes ago, joc said:

Wait....are we sure that isn't a Tesla?      

Well need to wait for a few years before that returns to the Earth.

[Waspie_Dwarf]

Gemini Telescope Images “Minimoon” Orbiting Earth - in Color!

Quote

Gemini Observatory Image Release

Mysterious object could be natural or human-made, more observations needed to tell the full story.

Astronomers using the international Gemini Observatory, on Hawaii’s Maunakea, have imaged a very small object in orbit around the Earth, thought to be only a few meters across. According to Grigori Fedorets, the lead astronomer for the observations, the object could be a rare natural rocky object, or it could be something humans put into space decades ago — essentially space debris. “Either way this is a very compelling object and needs more data to determine what it is,” said Fedorets. 

Read More: Gemini Observatory

 

[jowasmus]

That's no moon...it's a space station.

[+Desertrat56]

Didn't Elon Musk shoot one of his Tesla cars out into orbit? 

[Waspie_Dwarf]

1 hour ago, Desertrat56 said:

Didn't Elon Musk shoot one of his Tesla cars out into orbit? 

He fired it out of orbit, towards Mars. It is in orbit around the Sun, not the Earth.

[+Desertrat56]

2 minutes ago, Waspie_Dwarf said:

He fired it out of orbit, towards Mars. It is in orbit around the Sun, not the Earth.

Oh, ok.