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Another moon-like object orbiting Earth was discovered in 2016. Illustration: Time
The near-Earth asteroid, named Kamo’oalewa after the Hawaiian term meaning a moving object with a diameter under 50 meters, follows a repeating helical orbit around Earth. This unique orbit brings the object closer to Earth, within 40-100 times the distance of Earth’s natural satellite, the Moon, which is approximately 384,000 km away.
The peculiar orbital motion of Kamo’oalewa is a result of gravitational forces exerted by both Earth and the Sun, preventing the asteroid from achieving a regular orbit.
“It is primarily affected by the gravitational pull of the Sun, but this moon appears because it does not share Earth’s typical orbital path,” explained Ben Sharkey, a graduate researcher at the University of Arizona’s Lunar and Planetary Laboratory and the lead author of the study.
This doesn’t mean that Kamo’oalewa has an unusually unique origin. Within the solar system, there are numerous asteroids, some captured by the gravitational pull of other planets, becoming more akin to regular moons rather than mere fragments.
Kamo’oalewa garners attention due to its enigmatic properties. Most asteroids tend to exhibit bright infrared reflections at certain frequencies, but Kamo’oalewa’s reflection is fainter, indicating a distinct source.
Using the Large Binocular Telescope Observatory, a team of astronomers led by Ben Sharkey discovered that Kamo’oalewa’s light reflection pattern matches lunar rocks from NASA’s Apollo missions, suggesting that the asteroid originated from the Moon.
However, Kamo’oalewa won’t remain in its current orbit for long, as its orbit isn’t entirely stable. According to estimates by Sharkey and other scientists, this asteroid will accompany Earth for approximately 300 more years before deviating from its current orbit and drifting into space.