This title may be a little misleading. Yes, there is a small object that is currently trapped in the Earth’s orbit, however this is a small asteroid by the name of 2020 CD3. This asteroid is typically orbiting the Sun, however recently got trapped in the gravitational pull of the Earth, so, for now, it is a mini moon of sorts for the Earth.
I keep saying this asteroid is a mini moon, but how big is it really? Well, based on observations of the asteroid, it is estimated to only be around 1.9 to 3.5 m in diameter, which is approximately 1/3 millionth to 1/1 millionth the diameter of the Moon.
This miniature moon, while fun, is only temporary. Experts believe that this asteroid will fall out of the Earth’s orbit sometime in April and return to its typical orbit around the Sun. While this both isn’t the first nor the last object to get trapped in the Earth’s orbit and act as a temporary, secondary moon, the occurrence still is quite uncommon, so, for the time, however, we should celebrate this little baby of a moon.
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