In a inquiry newspaper call in “ The population of rude Earth satellite ” , astronomers say that Earth has a 2d lunation at any given fourth dimension . While these moons are small , the scientific implications of this discovery are phenomenal .
Think about it : alternatively of hold to ship crews to asteroid , now we know that they come to us — they orbit Earth and we can intercept them to learn more about the blood of our solar system . All with a small price tag .
What has been discovered?
Cornell University ’s Mikael Granvik , Jeremie Vaubaillon and Robert Jedicke have calculate the population of “ irregular natural satellites that are temporarily captured ” by Earth .
They say these unavowed moons fall and go quiet and without notice , but at least once we detected one . In fact , their calculations were confirmed by this observation : a mysterious Ti blanched object that was get wind rotating around Earth by the Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona , back in 2006 .
Our results are coherent with the single have intercourse born [ temporarily - captured orbiter ] 2006 RH120 , a few - meter diam target that was captured for about a year starting in June 2006 .
That object was actually a small asteroid entrance by Earth ’s gravitative field . It splay as a second lunar month until June 2007 , when it left our dwelling house planet ’s orbit . This study demo that , even while they are not easily discover , these piddling moons number and go often , ride out around for about ten months to about three spins around Earth and then wave arrivederci .
Why is this a cool discovery?
Now that we experience they come and go , and there ’s always one around , stargazer can ferment in observe them . Once we detect one , we can send a few astronauts to analyze it alternatively of getting a full crowd to a distant one . While they would n’t be able to land on it , they could certainly study it up nigh .
The datum about the formation of the solar organisation that we can incur from these asteroid — without having to spend a tidy sum of money — could be amazing .
Now , let the Death Star jokes begin . [ Cornell UniversityviaMIT Technology Review ]
cornerstone landscape persona byJames Thew / Shutterstock
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