Earth is set to pick up a small moon in October that may stay until May 2021 – but some experts say the object could be a man-made space junk

  • NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) detected an incoming object that could be trapped in Earth’s gravity
  • This event means that the asteroid 2020 SO will become a new young moon
  • The simulations show that the object will be suspended in October through May 2021
  • However, some astronomers believe it was part of a satellite launched in 1966

Written by Stacy Liberator for Dailymail.com

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Astronomers have discovered an object with an upcoming path toward Earth that could become a temporary little moon.

Dubbed 2020 SO, the entity has been in Earth-like orbit for over a year and is set to become trapped in our planet’s gravity starting in October and continuing through May 2021.

However, some experts have noted that it is moving much slower than a typical asteroid and suggested that it may be a man-made space junk.

A NASA scientist speculated that it may be a neglected part of the Surveyor 2 Centaur rocket launched in 1966.

Astronomer Tony Dunn told DailyMail.com: “ More observations will reveal its density. If it was hollow like a rocket booster, the pressure of the solar radiation would change its trajectory dramatically.

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Astronomers have discovered an object with an upcoming path toward Earth that could become a temporary little moon

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DailyMail.com contacted NASA for more information and has yet to receive a response.

Earth recorded only two small parcels – one in February 2020 and the other in 2006.

Unlike the other two, 2020 SO has not been confirmed as an asteroid, as some scientists believe it may be space junk heading towards Earth.

However, the 2020 SO was classified as an Apollo asteroid in NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) database, a class of asteroids whose paths cross Earth’s orbit.

Dubbed 2020 SO, the entity has been in Earth-like orbit for more than a year and is set to become trapped in our planet's gravity starting in October and continuing through May 2021.

Dubbed 2020 SO, the entity has been in an Earth-like orbit for more than a year and is set to become trapped in our planet’s gravity starting in October and continuing through May 2021.

However, some experts have noted that it is moving much slower than a typical asteroid and suggested that it may be a man-made space junk. A NASA scientist speculated that it may be an abandoned part of the Surveyor 2 Centaur rocket launched in 1966

However, some experts have noted that it is moving much slower than a typical asteroid and suggested that it may be a man-made space junk. A NASA scientist speculated that it may be an abandoned part of the Surveyor 2 Centaur rocket launched in 1966

The NASA Center for Near-Earth Object Studies shows that the body is between 12 and 46 feet long, which also matches the characteristics of a 1966 centaur, which has a length of 41.6 feet.

Experts also note that the speed of 2020 SO is much less than that of the Apollo asteroid.

Said space archaeologist Alice Gorman of Flinders University in Australia ScienceAlert: “Speed ​​looks great.”

What I see is that it is moving very slowly, which reflects its initial velocity. This is basically a big gift.

Paul Chodas identified with this Jet Propulsion Laboratory the body of the Surveyor 2 Centaur missile, which was launched on September 20, 1966.

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He wrote: “ The Earth’s encounter velocity is extremely low (0.6 km / s) low even for a lunar launch, so it is unlikely to be a normal object, even lunar projectiles, and more likely it is space junk. ”

The NASA Center for Near Earth Object Studies shows that the body is between 12 and 46 feet long, which also matches the characteristics of a 1966 centaur, which has a length of 41.6 feet.

The NASA Center for Near Earth Object Studies shows that the body is between 12 and 46 feet long, which also matches the characteristics of a 1966 centaur, which has a length of 41.6 feet.

In February (pictured), NASA announced that it had confirmed a new visitor in Earth's gravity. The NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey discovered a temporarily captured asteroid, called 2020 CD3, that has been orbiting our planet for three years.

In February (pictured), NASA announced that it had confirmed a new visitor in Earth’s gravity. The NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey discovered a temporarily captured asteroid, called 2020 CD3, that has been orbiting our planet for three years.

The animation of the object in question shows that it is actually heading towards the ground and will trigger the swoop to close when it arrives.

In December, the 2020 OS is expected to pass Earth at a distance of about 31,000 miles and two months later, it will fly at 136,701 miles.

In February, NASA announced that it had confirmed a new visitor in Earth’s gravity.

The NASA-funded Catalina Sky Survey discovered a tentatively captured asteroid, called 2020 CD3, that has been orbiting our planet three years ago.

The small cosmic body is estimated to be about six to 12 feet in diameter and has a similar surface brightness to type C asteroids, which are rich in carbon and very common.