Earth Traps A Second Moon And It Was Nearly Mistaken For Space Junk
The eccentric trajectory of the rock created a debate as to whether it was actually space junk or an actual asteroid. Given how much metallic debris we have inadvertently launched into orbit over the decades, it is completely valid to think the former. However, a collaborative effort using heavy-hitting instruments like the Lowell Discovery Telescope and the University of Hawaii’s 2.2-meter telescope stepped in to clear up the mystery, ultimately allowing the Minor Planet Center to officially confirm the rock's status as a genuine asteroid. This distinction also makes QQ8 Earth's latest certified temporary "mini-moon".
For those wondering, QQ8 isn't a safety threat. At its closest point, QQ8 stays tucked away at a distance roughly one and a half times farther out than our Moon. Even if its trajectory were somehow altered to put it on a collision course with our atmosphere, its diminutive size means it would just disintegrate as a shooting star across the sky.
That said, orbital tracking data reveals that QQ8 makes relatively close flybys of our planet roughly once every decade. Past encounters, such as a close pass in 1965, didn't result in a capture, and projections show that when it makes its next scheduled rendezvous in 2058, it will likely just wave as it flies by without getting snagged by our gravity again.
