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New 'mini-moon' orbiting Earth — for now, astronomers say
nbcnews.com ^
| Feb. 26, 2020
| Denise Chow
Posted on 02/26/2020 4:51:58 PM PST by ransomnote
A visiting mini-moon is circling Earth, according to astronomers who discovered the cosmic squatter in our planet's orbit.
The tiny asteroid, dubbed 2020 CD3, was spotted by astronomers in Tucson, Arizona, on Feb. 15.
"BIG NEWS," Kacper Wierzchos, a researcher with the Catalina Sky Survey at the University of Arizona's Lunar and Planetary Lab, tweeted Tuesday. "Earth has a new temporarily captured object/Possible mini-moon called 2020 CD3. On the night of Feb. 15, my Catalina Sky Survey teammate Teddy Pruyne and I found a 20th magnitude object."
Wierzchos said that the object measures about 6 feet to 11 feet across and that its orbit suggests that it entered Earth's orbit around three years ago.
MORE AT LINK, INCLUDING VIDEO
TOPICS: Astronomy; Miscellaneous; Science
KEYWORDS: 2020cd3; asteroid; asteroids; astronomy; bolide; catastrophism; minimoon; minimoons; quasisatellite; quasisatellites; science
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This is different from the other articles a year or two ago re Earth's extra moons.
www.nationalgeographic.com › science › 2018/11 › news-earth-moo...
Nov 6, 2018 - Earth's moon may not be alone. After more than half a century of speculation and controversy, Hungarian astronomers and physicists say they ...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's also different from the 2016 findings :
Earth has two moons
1,157,304 views
•Jun 18, 2016
2.97M subscribers
To: ransomnote
Could be Q warned us about Mini...
To: ransomnote
I’ve got boulders bigger on my hill. Much bigger.
To: ransomnote
"... the object measures about 6 feet to 11 feet across and that its orbit suggests that it entered Earth's orbit around three years ago." Yep... It figures... When we get a better look at it (first week of November) we'll be able to see the MAGA inscription on it's surface...
4
posted on
02/26/2020 4:57:39 PM PST
by
SuperLuminal
(Where is Sam Adams now that we desperately need him)
To: ransomnote
There’s all kinds of stuff orbiting us in the Lagrange points.
5
posted on
02/26/2020 4:58:00 PM PST
by
Seruzawa
(TANSTAAFL!)
To: ransomnote
6 to 10 feet across? I could eat this thing in two or three sittings, assuming it’s made of cheese, which of course it is.
6
posted on
02/26/2020 4:58:32 PM PST
by
Yardstick
To: ransomnote
Bloomberg’s home planet is searching for him?
7
posted on
02/26/2020 4:58:33 PM PST
by
Army Air Corps
(Four Fried Chickens and a Coke)
To: Yardstick
" 6 to 10 feet across? I could eat this thing in two or three sittings, assuming its made of cheese, which of course it is.""I hope you've got good plumbing. I've been eating a lot of cheese lately. I just can't get enough cheese." - Uncle Buck (John Candy)
8
posted on
02/26/2020 5:07:08 PM PST
by
DannyTN
To: SuperLuminal
9
posted on
02/26/2020 5:07:36 PM PST
by
redshawk
( I want my red balloon. ( https://youtu.be/V12H2mteniE))
To: ransomnote
10
posted on
02/26/2020 5:11:17 PM PST
by
BenLurkin
(The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire. Or both.)
To: ransomnote
Bloomberg dropped his pants?
11
posted on
02/26/2020 5:15:38 PM PST
by
rfp1234
To: ransomnote
NASA has named it:
“Katy Turd”
12
posted on
02/26/2020 5:23:43 PM PST
by
cgbg
(The Democratic Party is morphing into the Donner Party)
To: genetic homophobe
Frank Zappa could have been an astronomer. I’m thinking CD as in Cosmic Debris.
13
posted on
02/26/2020 5:36:45 PM PST
by
printhead
(I need a new tagline. Happy days are here again.)
To: ransomnote
14
posted on
02/26/2020 5:38:14 PM PST
by
dragonblustar
(I love reading Trump tweets in the morning.)
To: SuperLuminal
“...we’ll be able to see the MAGA inscription on it’s surface... “
Sorry, that’s MEGA, “Make Earth Great Again”.
(I did understand what you meant by the timing, but I thought the moon would have more cosmic ideas.)
To: printhead
with the oil of Aphrodite
and the dust of the Grand Wazoo
16
posted on
02/26/2020 5:45:16 PM PST
by
Don W
(When blacks riot, neighbourhoods and cities burn. When whites riot, nations and continents burn.)
To: ransomnote
That’s no moon. It’s Rosie O’Donnell ...
17
posted on
02/26/2020 5:54:10 PM PST
by
IronJack
To: printhead; Chode; Squantos; SkyDancer; Lockbox; carriage_hill; All
Seat 38 on Fido 3, Icepick in the forehead...
18
posted on
02/26/2020 6:18:28 PM PST
by
mabarker1
((Congress- the opposite of PROGRESS!!! A fraud, a hypocrite, a liar. I'm a member of Congress !!!!)
To: Yardstick
To: All
Probably dropping Coronavirus spores into the Earth’s atmosphere for a while. Just finally got one picked up in China late last year.
It’s an advance biological weapon from an invading race.
Where’s David Vincent when you need him?
20
posted on
02/26/2020 6:31:58 PM PST
by
John Milner
(Marching for Peace is like breathing for food.)
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