Mysterious Universe by Paul Seaburn 3/3/2020
When astronomers decided that Pluto was no longer a planet, many who memorized the names of nine planets in in school and spent hours building models of them for science projects were upset that all of this high-quality education was for naught. This was never a concern with the Moon, which didn’t have a name to memorize nor any competition in orbit around the Earth … until recently. Astronomers have discovered the second known mini-moon circling the planet, and there’s probably more. Will there be time to add it before the next science fair? Will it still be around by then?
On February 15, 2020, astronomers Kacper Wierzchos and Teddy Pruyne at the Catalina Sky Survey operating out of the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory in Tucson spotted what they believed to be a mini-moon orbiting Earth. They quickly made over 30 more observations in two days to confirm the discovery of a space rock measuring a mere 6 to 12 feet (1.9 to 3.5 meters) in diameter – so small that it may not have been discovered had it not been reflecting sunlight like its really big brother. They quickly commissioned a photographer and captured the first image of the mini-moon – now called 2020 CD3 or C26FED2 – and the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s Minor Planet Center announced it to the world.
“Orbit integrations indicate that this object is temporarily bound to the Earth. No link to a known artificial object has been found. Further observations and dynamical studies are strongly encouraged.â€
More:
https://mysteriousuniverse.org/2020/03/earths-new-mini-moon-may-be-something-else/
