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Earth Gets Another Quasi-Moon

Posted by samzenpus on from the old-one-was-getting-boring dept.

The Bad Astronomer writes Astronomers have found a new asteroid, 2014 OL339, that is a quasi-moon of the Earth. Discovered accidentally earlier this year, the 150-meter asteroid has an orbit that is more elliptical than Earth's, but has a period of almost exactly one year. It isn't bound to Earth like a real moon, but displays apparent motion as if it did, making it one of several known quasi-moons.

3 of 54 comments (clear)

  1. Poor Alan by kruach+aum · · Score: 4, Funny

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

  2. Hmmm ... by gstoddart · · Score: 5, Funny

    2014 OL339 is awkward. It sounds like it needs a proper name.

    How about Quasimoondo?

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    Lost at C:>. Found at C.
  3. Re:This sounds familar... by gstoddart · · Score: 4, Funny

    Sort of. ;-)

    The quasi-moons are more moon-like than planet like, because the quasi-moons orbit planets and quasi-planets orbit the sun, so in that regard they're almost entirely different, except for how they're not. =)

    If the quasi-moon orbited the sun it would be quasi-planet, but then it's too small, so then it just becomes another piece of space debris with an orbit around the sun. And then it's probably an asteroid. Unless it's a really big asteroid, then it's kind of like a planet. Or possibly a quasi-planet.

    It's all very complicated. :-P

    --
    Lost at C:>. Found at C.