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Small Asteroid Has Been Earth's Constant Companion For Decades, And NASA Just Discovered It
Small Asteroid Has Been Earth's Constant Companion For Decades, And NASA Just Discovered It
May 15, 2024 1:43 AM

In April, astronomers discovered that a small asteroid has been keeping Earth company for decades and will continue doing so for centuries to come. Talk about best friend goals.

Dubbed 2016 HO3, , according to a news release from NASA. Though it’s too far out to be considered a true satellite of Earth, the researchers say it’s the best and most stable example to date of a “quasi-satellite.”

During its annual trip around the sun, 2016 HO3 spends about half of the time closer to the sun than the Earth and it passes ahead of our planet, according to the release. The other half of the time, it tends to be farther away, causing it to fall behind.

The asteroid’s orbit is tilted, which causes it to bob up and down once every year as it moves through Earth’s orbital plane. This means Earth and the asteroid will essentially be playing leap frog for hundreds of years to come.

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Though Asteroid 2016 HO3 is a recent discovery, this isn’t the first time Earth has had a planetoid sidekick.

"One other asteroid -- 2003 YN107 -- followed a similar orbital pattern for a while over 10 years ago, but it has since departed our vicinity. This new asteroid is much more locked onto us,” NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object (NEO) Studies manager Paul Chodas said in the release.

Researchers with the Institute for Astronomy concluded that “.” These “minimoons” temporarily orbit our planet for less than a year before resuming their lives as asteroids circling the sun.

As for the size of 2016 HO3, astronomers are still unsure at this time but they estimate it’s likely between 120 and 300 feet in diameter. It was discovered using the Pan-STARRS 1 asteroid survey telescope on Haleakala, Hawaii.

To keep track of the asteroids in our orbit, . There’s also an for news and updates.

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