Study: Earth Has Another Tiny Moon That Broke Off from the Big One – Futurism

It'll orbit the Earth for just 300 more years. Quasi-Moon

In 2016, scientists discovered that the Earth has a second Moon that unlike its much morewidely-known siblingthats visible in the night sky circles our planet at 38 to 100 times the distance of our primary Moon.

For years, the origin of this quasi-Moon has eluded astronomers. But now, they might have an answer. In a new study published in Nature, scientists say they found evidence that the quasi-Moon dubbed Kamooalew, the Hawaiian word for a moving space object is an ancient fragment of the Earths primary Moon. They believe that the mini-Moon might have broken off of the lunar surface due to an epic collision,in time immemorial,with an asteroid or other astronomical object.

We see thousands of craters on the Moon, so some of this lunar ejecta has to be sticking around in space, Ben Sharkey, graduate student of the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory at the University of Arizona and lead author of the paper, told Time of the new research.

Using a telescope, the team found that Kamooalew is made up of common silicates not unlike other asteroids, according to Times reporting. However, they discovered that the quasi-Moons infrared signature differed from typical asteroids.

Thatdifference was a mystery until Sharkey compared the data with findings from lunar samples taken during the 1971 Apollo 14 mission. That comparison revealed that the space-weathering that lunar silicates undergo explained the difference in infrared activity meaning that Kamooalew likely came from our primary Moon.

Visually, what youre seeing is weathered silicate, Sharkey said to Time. The eons of exposure to space environment and the micrometeorite impacts, its almost like a fingerprint and its hard to miss.

While the second Moon is undoubtedly cool, we wouldnt get too attached. According to the paper, itll orbit Earth for roughly 300 more years before itll likely yeet itselfinto the void of space.

READ MORE: Earth Has a Second Moon For Another 300 Years, At Least [Time]

More on mini-moon: NASA Just Confirmed That Earth Has a New Mini-Moon

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Study: Earth Has Another Tiny Moon That Broke Off from the Big One - Futurism