New ‘Moon’ Orbiting Earth: Astronomers Discover Ancient Cosmic Body Near Planet

A group of astronomers discovered that the To land To another moon, which is not so new, since it has been close to the planet for at least 2,000 years, but had not been detected. According to specialists, the finding would be what is called a near moonwho received the name “2023 FW13”, and is gravitationally attached to the Sun.

He “2023 FW13was discovered by researchers from the Pan-STARRS telescope in Hawaii, at the top of the Haleakala volcano. Astronomers have also revealed that this ancient cosmic body has been in the districts of the planet from the year 100 a. vs. and it will continue to revolve around the planet until the year 3700 AD. VS. It should be mentioned that specialists have clarified that it does not pose a risk to the Earth.

“2023 FW13 is not associated with Earth other than by chance,” Alan Harris, a researcher at the Space Science Institute in Boulder, Colorado, told Sky & Telescope. The expert added that unlike the Moon, which is gravitationally bound to Earth, the quasi-moons are attached to the Sun. Although the body orbits similarly to the Moon, its orbit is outside the Earth’s sphere (the region where the gravity of the planetary body is dominant to attract satellites).

What are quasi-moons?

According to astronomers, quasi-moons are a subcategory of near-earth asteroids, which orbit the Sun, but remain close to the planet. Its main difference from the Moon is that these bodies follow elliptical orbits around the sun, similar to those of the Earth.

Quasi-moons are often confused with the Moon and are very difficult to detect. The quasi-moon 2023 FW13discovered by experts using the Pan-STARRS telescope at Haleakala volcano in Hawaii, is just one of the known near moons, but experts say there could be more.