(Newswire.net — June 21, 2016) —The Earth has a small companion that has accompanied it on its path around the Sun for almost a hundred years now, NASA astronauts have discovered.
Although the actual size of the 2016 HO3 asteroid has not yet been firmly established, the object is considerably small at approximately 120 to 300 feet across, and is constantly orbiting the Earth, like a “quasi-moon”, since it mimics the movement of the moon.
The space agency’s scientists assume that this asteroid will continue to circle around the Earth for several centuries.
The NASA Office of Planetary Protection says the small asteroid is not a danger and will not hit the Earth in the next 200 years.
Paul Chodas, manager of NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object (NEO) Studies at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, explained that calculations indicate that the 2016 HO3 has been a stable quasi-satellite of Earth for almost a century, and it will continue to follow this pattern as Earth’s companion for centuries to come.
Earth’s gravity keeps the asteroid in its path around the Sun, regardless of the fact that its maximum distance from the Earth is a hundred times greater than the distance from the Earth to the Moon.
Because of such a huge distance, 2016 HO3 cannot be classified as a true satellite of our planet, but it is the best and most stable example to date of a near-Earth companion, or “quasi-satellite”, NASA experts explained.
It was first discovered on April 27, 2016, using a telescope Pan-STARRS 1 from the University of Hawaii at Haleakala National Park, and funded by NASA’s Planetary Defense Coordination Office.
This is not the first discovery of an object that follows the Earth. The asteroid 2003 YN107 followed a similar orbital pattern for a while over 10 years ago, but it has since departed our vicinity. This new asteroid is much more locked onto us, NASA expert Paul Chodas explained.