Earth has natural satellites, sometimes known as minimoons or semimoons. They are small asteroids that find themselves temporarily orbiting our planet. These objects could help humanity become an interplanetary species, scientists say oppression Live Science.
The minimoon was first noticed by astronomers at the Catalina Sky Survey in 2006. It turned out to be a stone only a few meters in diameter and was named RH120. The lunar analogue remained near Earth for about a year and then left orbit.
In 2020, Catalina Sky Survey experts found another satellite, CD3, about the size of a small car. It left near-Earth space in March of the same year.
The discovery of mini-moons could help earthlings reach other worlds faster, including Mars, Richard Binzel, professor of planetary sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told reporters.
According to the scientist, small satellites could become sites for spaceports, as they can be reached relatively quickly – a round-trip flight would take about 100 days. The low gravity on minimoons will allow ships to be launched from them with minimal fuel consumption.
The problem with using minimoons as transit points in space remains their temporary nature; Asteroids leave Earth’s orbit sooner or later. Therefore, their operation in this capacity will require careful planning and engineering solutions.
Richard Binzel explained that moon-like moons were discovered only in recent years due to their small size and high motion speed.
Previously, astronomers for the first time to create Water on asteroids.