Unknown space object approaching Earth’s orbit could be a new ‘mini-moon’ or part of a long-lost rocket

Seattle Times ^ | 09/24/2020 | Christine Clarridge

[BenLurkin]

A strange space object approaching Earth is about to get captured by our gravity and become a new, temporary “mini-moon.”

The object, which is dubbed 2020 SO, could be an asteroid. Or it could be part of the Surveyor 2, a robotic spacecraft launched to the moon on Sept. 20, 1966, according to the science and nature website EarthSky.org

Traveling at the extremely-slow-for-space speed of 1,880 miles per hour, the object was seen last week by astronomers in Hawaii, and it’s on course to be captured by Earth from October 2020 until around May 2021, according to EarthSky.

Astronomers here on Earth discovered another temporary mini-moon back in February that they determined had been tagging along with us for about three years.

[Texas Eagle]

Please let it be Jesus. Please let it be Jesus. Please let it be Jesus.

[KC_Lion]

For your interest

[LIConFem]

Uh oh... it never turns out well when a lost spacecraft returns empty, and on its own.

[UnwashedPeasant]

[Jamestown1630]

'‘mini-moon’ or part of a long-lost rocket'

So, does the ISS qualify as a 'mini moon' - or just 'space junk'?

[Lurkina.n.Learnin]

Is that a Tesla?

[Larry Lucido]

[BenLurkin]

Could be either.

[Dead Corpse]

[Rinnwald]

V-ger.

[Dogbert41]

Anybody remember this?

Arthur C Clarke "Rendezvous with Rama".

[EEGator]

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

If the craft doesn’t travel through space by warping space-time, it should be fine.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

I actually read that as a kid.

[right way right]

Yes, and it’s really out there in space.

[tallyhoe]

Independence Day?

[KarlInOhio]

It's like Star Trek IV, but instead of whales...

...they want Chuck Berry. They asked nicely, but now they'll just take him. Too bad they're too late for him.

[Revel]

The October surprise.

[gnarledmaw]

Nah, his spaceship is much bigger and iirc its full of applesauce.