Scientists believe this near-earth asteroid could actually be a fragment of our moon!
Researchers from the University of Arizona believe that Kamo'oalewa, a near-Earth asteroid, could well be a piece of our moon that broke off in the past. If that is indeed the case, it would make it the first asteroid known to have originated from the Earth's moon. These results have been published in a peer-reviewed paper in Communications Earth and Environment (Nature) in November.
Near-Earth asteroid
Kamo'oalewa is a near-Earth asteroid that is between 150-190 feet in diameter and gets as close as 14.5 million km to Earth. As a near-Earth asteroid, it is not part of the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, but instead, inhabits the inner solar system.
Even though it is very faint when viewed from Earth, astronomers managed to pick it up using their telescopes. While it looks like any near-Earth asteroid for the most part, its spectrum - the pattern of light reflected -was different from other asteroids.
Different spectrum
The spectrum of Kamo'oalewa suggested a silicate-based composition with reddening beyond what is seen in asteroids in the inner solar system, but rather matching with lunar silicates.
First discovered in April 2016, astronomers have been searching for an explanation for Kamo'oalewa for the past three years.
Using follow-up observations, they have now come to the conclusion that this asteroid could be made up of material from the moon. Additionally, the orbit of this asteroid is also similar to Earth's but slightly tilted, making it different from other near-Earth asteroids.
Along with the spectrum evidence, the tilted orbit further suggests that the asteroid came from the moon. And when that is proved beyond doubt, it would make Kamo'oalewa the first-ever asteroid that was actually once a piece of the moon.
Picture Credit : Google