Earth Has New Moon; Space Rock Has Been in the Planet’s Vicinity Since 1000 BC

Our planet has a new moon that has been there for centuries. However, the Earth's new moon, or at least a quasi-moon, might not stay forever.

Earth Has New Moon or Quasi-Moon

A new study discovered that our planet has a new moon or quasi-moon, which refers to a space rock circling the planet but is gravitationally bound by the sun.

One of only a few known quasi-moons, 2023 FW13 was found by specialists using the Pan-STARRS telescope at the summit of the Haleakala volcano in Hawaii, Daily Mail reported.

According to experts, the old cosmic buddy has been close to Earth since 100 BC and will continue to orbit it until AD 3700, or at least another 1,500 years.

Quasi-moons, commonly referred to as "quasi-satellites," frequently appear to be orbiting our planet like the moon, our natural satellite. Moon is also affectionately referred to as "Luna." However, because their gravitational ties are to the sun rather than the Earth, they are given the prefix "quasi."

Before eventually slipping out of the planet's orbit, quasi-satellites typically travel along a stable route for more than a few decades.

According to amateur astronomer Tony Dunn, 2023 FW13 is unique since it has existed in a quasi-state for centuries and will continue to do so "for many more centuries to come."

The orbit of 2023 FW13 around the sun lasts 365.42 days (1.0005 Earth years), which is nearly identical to the duration of Earth's orbit.

This orbit's length is such that, while it makes a complete circuit of the Earth, it also passes halfway between Mars and Venus.

Many of the known cosmic partners of Earth are quasi-satellites. However, as 2023 FW13 shows, many more cosmic friends are probably still to be discovered.

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What Is Quasi-Moon 2023 FW13?

In contrast to our moon, 2023 FW13 orbits well outside of the Earth's "Hill sphere," where the planet's gravity acts as the main force drawing satellites to it. The radius of 2023 FW13 from Earth is about 1.6 million miles, whereas the radius of the Earth's Hill sphere is 932,000 miles (1.5 million kilometers).

According to Alan Harris, a senior research scientist at Boulder, Colorado's Space Science Institute, the loop's size, roughly 0.18 astronomical units in radius, is so great that Earth practically has no impact on its motion. There is no other connection between Earth and [2023 FW13] besides chance.

Richard Binzel, an expert on asteroids, predicts that 2023 FW13 will measure between 10 and 15 meters (30 to 50 feet) in diameter. However, its exact size has not yet been determined.

This is a mere sliver of the 2,159-mile diameter of our moon, which is classed as such according to its orbital properties rather than its size.

The orbit of 2023 FW13 about the moon, sun, and other planets in the solar system can be seen via an online simulator developed by Dunn.

PanSTARRS also discovered the well-known quasi-satellite 469219 Kamooalewa or 2016 HO3 in April 2016. However, unlike the recently discovered quasi-moon, 469219 Kamooalewa, a 330-foot-diameter space object, will have a shorter stay as it will only orbit Earth for about 300 years.

Fortunately, neither 2023 FW13 nor the related quasi-moon 469219 Kamooalewa would endanger life on Earth.