In the vast quiet of space, Earth's neighbourhood may be livelier than we thought. According to new research, tiny pieces of the moon might occasionally swirl into orbit around our planet—if only for a brief visit—before slipping away to follow the sun. These fleeting companions, dubbed “minimoons,” are small, elusive, and incredibly difficult to detect.
Fragments from the Moon Join Earth's Orbit
The study, published in Icarus, suggests that about six lunar fragments may circle Earth at any given time. These fragments are usually no larger than a small car and result from high-energy impacts on the moon. When an asteroid or meteorite hits the lunar surface, it sends fragments flying into space. Most of this material drifts into solar orbit, but some gets caught in Earth’s gravitational pull.
Robert Jedicke, a researcher at the University of Hawaii and lead author of the study, likened their orbits to a dance. "It’s like a square dance where partners change," he said to Space.com. While many minimoon candidates are thought to originate in the asteroid belt, recent examples like 2024 PT5 and 469219 Kamo'oalewa suggest the moon might be a more frequent source than once believed.
The team used simulations to explore how this debris behaves. They found that roughly a fifth of ejected lunar particles could be captured temporarily by Earth. On average, these minimoons orbit our planet for around nine months before drifting off again.
Spotting Minimoons Is No Easy Task
Despite the potential numbers, spotting these tiny visitors is a serious challenge. Measuring just a few meters across, most are hard to pick up on telescopes. They move quickly across the sky and often appear as streaks on long-exposure images, confusing computer algorithms designed to track slower-moving objects.
One such object, 2020 CD3, was detected only twice by the Catalina Sky Survey during a thousand-night observational period. That success, though rare, offers hope for future detection efforts.
Jedicke explained that their high speed and small size make them tricky to follow. But once located, astronomers can predict their path and study them further. He believes these objects could offer clues to how lunar craters form and how debris moves through space.
Science and Industry Eye New Possibilities
Beyond their scientific value, these tiny satellites may also hold commercial potential. Because they briefly orbit close to Earth, minimoons could become attractive targets for space mining. Unlike distant asteroids, they would require less fuel to reach and sample.
Jedicke noted that understanding these objects may improve our knowledge of space collisions and potential threats to Earth. By studying how debris escapes the moon and moves through space, researchers can refine their models for future impact predictions.
As telescopic surveys advance and detection tools improve, the mysterious visitors from our moon may not remain strangers for long. For now, Earth’s quiet skies may be more crowded than they appear.
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