ππ “Earth Bags Another ‘Quasi-Moon’! 2023 FW13 Set To Hang Around For 1500 More Years!” ππ
TL;DR: Attention Earthlings! We’ve got a new cosmic neighbor, a ‘quasi-moon’ named 2023 FW13, spotted by the eagle-eyed Pan-STARRS telescope in Hawaii. This space rock isn’t going anywhere soon, with scientists betting on it sticking around for at least 1500 more years! Oh, and it’s not going to crash into us and obliterate life as we know it, so you can exhale now! π«π
Ever fantasized about Earth having more than one moon? Like some cosmic BOGO deal? Well, we’ve got some “space” for you! π
Here’s the scoop – Earth has a new homie on the block, a quasi-moon named 2023 FW13. It’s been circling us since about 100 BC, and experts say it’ll continue its cosmic waltz with Earth for at least another 1500 years.πΊπ
But here’s the twist: it isn’t technically a moon, despite the space gossip. These quasi-moons, or quasi-satellites, orbit Earth, but their heart belongs to the Sun, gravitationally speaking. ππ It’s a love triangle that would give Twilight a run for its money! π§ββοΈ
Why don’t we see this new “moon” in our sky? Well, it orbits outside Earth’s ‘Hill sphere’, the gravitational ‘comfort zone’ for satellites. The distance between Earth and 2023 FW13 is a whopping 1.6 million miles – it’s playing hard to get, and that’s why it’s a “quasi”. πβ‘οΈπ
The Pan-STARRS telescope spotted this elusive celestial tagalong. Now, it’s officially part of the cosmic roster at the Minor Planet Center at the International Astronomical Union (IAU). All the while, we were thinking Earth was an only child (moon-wise), and now we learn we’ve got a bunch of siblings. Is Jerry Springer available for a cosmic family reunion? π¨βπ¦π
The discovery of this moon-imposter begs the question: “How many more of these quasi-moons could be lurking in the shadows?” Earth seems to be quite popular in the cosmic community, with many such quasi-satellites spinning around us. Could there be a quasi-moon convention we’re not aware of? π€π
There’s also 469219 KamoΚ»oalewa, another quasi-moon, discovered back in 2016. It’s suspected to be a lunar chip off the old block, as it shares similarities with lunar rocks collected during NASAβs Apollo missions. Who knew Earth’s original moon had a secret mini-me floating around? ππ
All this space drama sure makes one think, doesn’t it? π€― We’re living in an era of amazing scientific discoveries, expanding our understanding of the universe beyond the Earth-centric views of old. So, while we sit here on our beautiful blue marble, with quasi-moons spinning around us, do you ever wonder what other celestial surprises are waiting to be discovered? ππ
Who knows, maybe we’ll find a quasi-moon that’s got its own quasi-moon! π€£
So, over to you, our stargazing readers: what’s your take on these cosmic revelations? Do you think there are more
