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A 'quasi-moon' discovered in Earth orbit may have been hiding for decades

How It Works UK

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Issue 208

A new paper describes a possible 'quasi-moon' of Earth, an interloping asteroid that may have been following our planet around for decades, undetected.

- WORDS ELIZABETH HOWELL

A 'quasi-moon' discovered in Earth orbit may have been hiding for decades

Quasi-moons, the Planetary Society states, are "like a gravitational sleight of hand." They are asteroids that, from our point of view on Earth, appear to be orbiting our planet like our permanent Moon does. However, they actually orbit the Sun, only temporarily moving through the Solar System alongside our planet. If the status of the newly detected asteroid, called 2025 PN7, is confirmed, it would not be the only object seemingly behaving as a moon of Earth. There are seven other known quasi-moons in Earth-like orbits, and they are "full of surprises," said Carlos de la Fuente Marcos of the Complutense University of Madrid. Of these quasi-moons, 2025 PN7 is the "smallest a

MEER VERHALEN VAN How It Works UK

How It Works UK

How It Works UK

UNCANNY'S DANNY ROBINS

The creator and host of the BBC's Uncanny series tells us about his most chilling experiences while researching the show, and writing a ghost book for children

time to read

4 mins

Issue 208

How It Works UK

How It Works UK

HOW FEATHERS GROW

A bird's proteinaceous plumage comes from the same source as our hair

time to read

1 mins

Issue 208

How It Works UK

How It Works UK

New EV battery technology could power 500-mile road trips on a 12-minute charge

Scientists have used a neat chemistry trick to tackle a major challenge facing future batteries.

time to read

2 mins

Issue 208

How It Works UK

How It Works UK

HOW AIR PURIFIERS WORK

These filtration devices clean a room's air of particles that can make a person sick

time to read

1 min

Issue 208

How It Works UK

How It Works UK

Chinese scientists hunt for alien radio signals in a 'potentially habitable' star system

TRAPPIST-1 is a red dwarf star located about 40 light years away that hosts seven Earth-sized rocky planets, with at least three orbiting in the habitable zone where liquid water could exist.

time to read

2 mins

Issue 208

How It Works UK

How It Works UK

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DIE?

Our bodies are vessels for life, but in death they undergo a cascade of chemical and biological changes

time to read

3 mins

Issue 208

How It Works UK

How It Works UK

WHY ARE KEYBOARDS QWERTY?

There's a reason why this seemingly random arrangement of letters is widely used on keyboard layouts

time to read

1 min

Issue 208

How It Works UK

How It Works UK

A 'quasi-moon' discovered in Earth orbit may have been hiding for decades

A new paper describes a possible 'quasi-moon' of Earth, an interloping asteroid that may have been following our planet around for decades, undetected.

time to read

1 mins

Issue 208

How It Works UK

How It Works UK

WHAT'S AN ANTI-DRONE GUN?

How these devices intercept and disable unmanned aerial vehicles

time to read

1 mins

Issue 208

How It Works UK

How It Works UK

Dozens of mysterious blobs discovered inside Mars may be 'failed planets'

Giant impact structures, including the potential remains of ancient ‘protoplanets’, may be lurking deep beneath the surface of Mars.

time to read

2 mins

Issue 208

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