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  1. #1
    Moderator at Work ilan's Avatar
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    Is Earth’s new mini-moon a 60s-era rocket booster?

    Is Earth’s new mini-moon a 60s-era rocket booster?
    Eddie Irizarry and Deborah Byrd in SPACE | November 23, 2020

    A mysterious object discovered in September has now become a new mini-moon for Earth. It appears to be a lost-and-found 60s-era rocket from the Surveyor 2 moon mission, launched from Earth more than 50 years ago.


    On September 17, 2020, astronomers spotted an object on approach to Earth. They assigned it an asteroid label: 2020 SO. Orbit models quickly showed, however, that both the low speed and trajectory of the approaching object were unusual. The models also showed that Earth would capture this object – temporarily – as a new mini-moon. And, on November 8, Earth did capture this object. Now, following a three-month analysis of its motion, NASA has confirmed the object is likely no natural object at all. Instead, it appears to be a relic of the early Space Age, a Centaur upper-stage rocket booster, once called America’s workhorse in space. This particular rocket might be the one that launched the ill-fated Surveyor 2 spacecraft toward the moon in 1966.

    The lost rocket, if that’s what it is, is expected to remain a captive of Earth from October 2020 until March 2021.

    It appears to have been pushed from its original trajectory by a small but continuous pressure from sunlight.

    It won’t be the first time Earth has captured a mini-moon. But it’s an awesome story of a lost-and-found rocket, originally launched from Earth more than 50 years ago.

    By the way, 2020 SO will come extremely close to Earth – about 30,000 miles (50,000 km or 0.13 of the average lunar distance) on December. Virtual Telescope (see below) will be showing this intriguing object live a few hours before its flyby: the live feed is scheduled for November 30, starting at 5 p.m. EST (22:00 UTC).
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    Code:
    https://www.virtualtelescope.eu/2020/11/23/2020-so-extremely-close-encounter-asteroid-or-surveyor-2-rocket-booster-online-observations-30-nov-2020/
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  2. #2
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    NASA confirms it’s a rocket booster;
    Code:
    https://www.nasa.gov/feature/new-data-confirm-2020-so-to-be-the-upper-centaur-rocket-booster-from-the-1960-s

  3. #3
    Transparent Wall Technician crazed 9.6's Avatar
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    this is historic stuff orziz, truely crazy.
    So this rocket booster has been out in space since the 60s and had turned back at some point and now has done a crazy orbit of the earth and gone again for another 60 or so years...
    We gotta get a holiday dedicated to this chit

    and too, nice graphics on that Ilan, thnx

    crazy... Space Force probably was worried
    Last edited by crazed 9.6; 12-05-2020 at 07:13 AM.
    "The illusion of freedom will continue for as long as it's profitable to continue the illusion. At the point where the illusion becomes too expensive to maintain, they will take down the scenery, move the tables and chairs out of the way, then they will pull back the curtains and you will see the brick wall at the back of the theater."
    - Frank Zappa

  4. #4
    3 Time Nascar Pool Winner 4me2c's Avatar
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    Maybee "Chase Day" would bee Suitable...?!?

  5. #5
    Moderator at Work ilan's Avatar
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    Space pollution is a real thing. There's junk everywhere out there.
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