A mysterious asteroid has been present near the Earth for years, scientists said - maybe a 'piece of the moon'
A small asteroid was seen orbiting near Earth. In keeping with an exploration published on November 11 in Nature Communications Earth and Environment magazine, this asteroid might be a bit part of the moon. Researchers say that if this is confirmed, then this asteroid is the primary natural object near Earth to revolve from the Moon.
According to researchers, it can help shed light on the history of our planet and moon. This asteroid is being called Kamo`oalewa. Astronomers discovered it in 2016 using the PanSTARRS telescope in Hawaii. This object is about 4 million times fainter than what's seen with the naked human eye.
Every April the rock's orbit brings it so near Earth that it's briefly visible to our most powerful telescopes. However, even during this point it's at a distance of about 9 million miles or 14.4 million kilometers from the planet. Investigations have shown that the asteroid is formed with a diameter of no over 190 feet (58 m).
Because of its near-Earth orbit, this asteroid fits into the quasi-satellite category, celestial bodies that orbit the Sun but remain extremely near Earth. Astronomers have detected many quasi-satellites within the past. employing a telescope larger than the highest of a mountain in southern Arizona, the researchers observed the asteroid closely during their regular April visits for several years.