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We have a new moon
Times of India ^
| FRIDAY, MARCH 26, 2004
| AFP
Posted on 03/27/2004 4:26:23 PM PST by Willie Green
For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use.
PARIS: Earth has acquired a "quasi-moon" - an asteroid that will encircle our planet for the next couple of years, while it orbits the sun on a horseshoe-shaped path, according to a report to be published on Saturday in New Scientist .
The asteroid, 2003 YN17, "is probably a chunk of debris" from an impact between a larger space rock and the surface of the moon, the British weekly said.
2003 YN17's orbital plane is roughly the same as the earth's, but its unusual path, compounded by a corkscrew-like track, means that sometimes it is ahead of us and sometimes it is behind.
"Since 1996, its path has taken it round the earth, making it a quasi-satellite. This phase will last until 2006," the report says.
The finders are a team led by Paul Chodas, an asteroid specialist at NASA's famed Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.
Two other "quasi-moons" - temporary fellow-travellers that loop around the earth for while as they girdle the sun - have been spotted in recent years: Cluithne and asteroid 2002.
TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: 2003yn17; minimoon; minimoons; moon; quasisatellite; quasisatellites
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To: blam
ping
2
posted on
03/27/2004 4:26:51 PM PST
by
Willie Green
(Go Pat Go!!!)
To: Willie Green
Can we mine it?
Comment #4 Removed by Moderator
To: BikePacker
Not without a 10-year, multi-million dollar environmental impact study.
The little sucker will have scampered out of reach by then.
5
posted on
03/27/2004 4:37:18 PM PST
by
Willie Green
(Go Pat Go!!!)
Comment #6 Removed by Moderator
To: TopQuark
What a suprise Willie: you must think that this too is an evil deed of American corporations and capitalism in general, which you hate so much. Was that really called for ?
7
posted on
03/27/2004 4:42:57 PM PST
by
Centurion2000
(Resolve to perform what you must; perform without fail that what you resolve.)
To: Willie Green
It's only a matter of time till one of these things goes whangin' into the earth, most likely an ocean strike. Tick, tick, tick ... the day gets closer and closer.
8
posted on
03/27/2004 4:43:24 PM PST
by
templar
To: TopQuark
Hey Monica, that was a low blow.
9
posted on
03/27/2004 4:43:43 PM PST
by
Rebelbase
To: Willie Green
Picture of a/the new moon at night:
10
posted on
03/27/2004 4:43:52 PM PST
by
freedumb2003
(If your cat has babies in the oven you don't call them biscuits!)
To: Willie Green
I wonder if we can stick a computer controlled solar sail on it and keep it in orbit, steering it a little closer to Earth over time? It would make good raw materials for a BIG space station.
11
posted on
03/27/2004 4:48:10 PM PST
by
Ahban
To: freedumb2003
Here's a picture of it during the day.
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12
posted on
03/27/2004 4:51:17 PM PST
by
BykrBayb
(FReepers make algore regret inventing the Internet)
To: BykrBayb
Nice pic....I didn't realize outer space was white. Mebbe you need to photoshop that sucker.
13
posted on
03/27/2004 4:53:42 PM PST
by
Focault's Pendulum
(Stupid me! I always thought Flip Flops were beach wear)
To: TopQuark; Willie Green
How sad, I'd had a better opinion of you. For the record, Willie's been here longer than you and has more friends.
Willie, there already are pagan moon-goddess cults, werewolves, all that. Do we really deserve to be mooned again?:
14
posted on
03/27/2004 4:54:59 PM PST
by
xJones
To: Focault's Pendulum
That's not outerspace. The new moon is behind that white cloud.
15
posted on
03/27/2004 4:58:04 PM PST
by
BykrBayb
(FReepers make algore regret inventing the Internet)
To: TopQuark
Uncalled for
16
posted on
03/27/2004 4:58:06 PM PST
by
clamper1797
(Conservative by nature ... Republican in Spirit ... Patriot by Heart ... and Anti Liberal BY GOD)
To: Focault's Pendulum; BykrBayb
Nice pic....I didn't realize outer space was white. It is during the daytime.
17
posted on
03/27/2004 5:00:23 PM PST
by
freedumb2003
(If your cat has babies in the oven you don't call them biscuits!)
To: BykrBayb
That's not outerspace. The new moon is behind that white cloud. Oh. Okay. I was having an anxiety attack, thinking the Monnolith was going through a major change, again.
18
posted on
03/27/2004 5:12:27 PM PST
by
Focault's Pendulum
(Stupid me! I always thought Flip Flops were beach wear)
To: xJones
Do we really deserve to be mooned again?:Well if it were ½ or ¼ the size of our real Moon,
I think it'd be a hellatiously cool sight that I'd give my eyeteeth to see.
Unfortunately, the article doesn't mention if it's gonna be visible to the naked eye.
To: Willie Green
"We like the moon."
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