Mystery moon around Earth likely Apollo rocket
NASA scientists have confirmed the first known capture of an object into Earth orbit from a Sun-centered orbit, thanks to continuing observations of what is most likely the long-lost third stage of a 1969 rocket to the Moon.
"Last week we didn't know for sure that it had been captured, and now there's no doubt that it was captured in April of this year," said Dr. Paul Chodas of the Near-Earth Object Program Office at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. "What's more, we are virtually certain that it originally escaped Earth orbit in March 1971 and that it will escape again next June. It's only a temporary visitor."
The object, named J002E3, was discovered Sept. 3 by Canadian amateur astronomer Bill Yeung, observing from El Centro, Calif. Increasingly precise orbital calculations made possible from a second week of positional observations have nearly ruled out any chance the object will hit the Moon or enter Earth's atmosphere before it departs Earth orbit, Chodas said. Calculations made about a week after the discovery left higher impact possibilities, but now the chances of impact are less than 1 percent at either the Moon or Earth, and a third week of observations will likely push the odds to zero. The object is too small to be considered hazardous, in any case.
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