Quasi - satellites are asteroid that amaze tight to a planet , including near - Earth asteroid that take the dear part rather seriously . Quasi - satellite ' origins are mystical . Kamo`oalewa , a particularly interesting space rock , never get more than 100 times the distance to the Moon away from us , but raw enquiry reveals it was belike once part of the Moon , presumptively having been knock down off by an asteroid hit .
Initially known as2016 H03 , Kamo`oalewa was discovered using the PanSTARRS scope in Hawaii . It ’s heavy to study because it is only 55 - 60 measure ( 150 - 190 animal foot ) across . Its orbit only makes it seeable for part of every April , and then only to very large scope .
University of Arizona alumnus studentBen Sharkeycollected Kamo`oalewa ’s spectrum and find it was unlike any other asteroid ever see . However , he report inCommunications Earth and Environment , there was one known object with the same spectrum and it ’s the only place humans have bring down beyond the Earth .
At first glance , Kamo`oalewa ’s spectrum look similar to silicate asteroid but when Sharkey and conscientious objector - authors used longer picture times they recover its ghostly slope is distinctively skewed to the Bolshevik . After ruling out comparison with particularly iron - rich asteroids the generator found the only compeer they could find were certain rock from the surface of the Moon .
The newspaper acknowledges we do n’t yet live enough about Kamo`oalewa to be confident of its origins . Indeed co - authorDr Vishnu Reddypointed out in a assertion : “ We doubted ourselves to death . ” However , meteoriteshave been foundthat were knocked off the Moon in impacts , so we know such objects should be out there .
Moreover , both Kamooalewa 's spectra and its orbit are reproducible with it having been knocked off the Moon when a magnanimous object hit . " It 's easy to explain with the moon than other ideas , " Sharkey say . Three small-scale objects were receive last year with orbits interchangeable enough to Kamooalewa they could all be piece of a large asteroid .
Only five quasi - satellite are confirmed , but their discovery are so late ( the first was found in 2004 ) many more are in all likelihood waiting to be discovered . Most quasi - satellites have quite unstable range , having been ordinary near - Earth asteroids previously , and return to that status after a few years or tenner of affiliation with Earth . However , Kamo`oalewa is more unchanging . It ’s await to keep its quasi - satellite status for 300 years , having so far been at it for 100 .
antecedently Kamooalewa , whose name occur from a Hawaiian instauration chant and refers to an offspring that travels on its own , had a “ horse - brake shoe form way ” with an orbital diameter alternately a little shorter and longer than our own . Even during these more distant stage , Kamooalewa has a comparative velocity 10 times lower than most near - Earth objects , proportional to the Earth - Moon system .
In the cognitive process of examine its composition , Sharkey and co - authors also found Kamo`oalewa rotates every 28.3 minutes ; any succeeding commission there need to be ready for some serious motion sickness .
