Astronomers have discovered an asteroid that appears to orbit Earth like a moon, but is actually being influenced by the Sun's gravity. It's called 2023 FW13 and was recently spotted, causing a stir among space enthusiasts .
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To observe the space rock that has been labeled a pseudo-moon, scientists used the Pan-STARRS, which is located atop the Haleakala in Hawaii. The Sky and Telescope said that scientists believe the object has been orbiting Earth since 100 BC and will continue to do so for at least another 1,500 years.
If all calculations are correct, 2023 FW13 will be the most stable moon- like satellite discovered to date. Quasi-moons are so named because they appear to orbit Earth in the same way that our moon, our satellite, orbits.
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The discovery of 2023 FW13 is nothing new, as another object, named 469219 Kamooalewa, was discovered in 2016. At the time, it was recognized as the smallest, closest, and most stable known satellite.
The asteroid was first observed by the Pan-STARRS observatory on March 28. The discovery was officially announced on April 1, following further observations by the Hawaii, Canada, and France telescopes, as well as the Kitt Peak and Mount Lemmon.
According to the report, Adrien Coffinet, a French astronomer and journalist, said that when he saw the announcement, he realized that the very large axis resembling that of the Earth seemed suspicious to him. Coffinet is a French astronomer and journalist who discovered the nature of the Moon's orbit.
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Alan Harris from the Space Science Institute explained to Sky & Telescope magazine that 2023 FW13 circles Earth, but the dimension of its orbit is so large that the Earth does not significantly affect its motion.
