Is asteroid Kamo?oalewa a chunk of the Moon? A new study shows that it could be, but only samples can tell us for certain.
The two types that are important in this research are the latter two: HS and QS.
Earth has 21 co-orbital objects: two are Trojans, six are in the QS state, and 13 are undergoing HS motion. But Kamo’oalewa is different than the other QS objects. The other 20 are only temporarily in their co-orbital states, usually for less than a few decades, while Kamo’oalewa persists. It transitions back and forth between HS motion and QS motion and has done this for centuries. It’ll keep doing it for centuries.
But some—only a small number—don’t enter heliocentric orbits. Instead, they take up orbits similar to Kamo’oalewa’s orbit. “As these ejecta escape the Earth-Moon environment and evolve into heliocentric orbits, we find that a small fraction of launch conditions yield outcomes that are compatible with Kamo’oalewa’s dynamical behaviour,” they write.
This figure from the study shows how Kamo’oalewa alternates between a QS and an HS orbit. The other line represents KL2, one of the particles in the simulation. Black segments show its non-co-orbital movement, blue shows its HS states, and yellow shows its QS states. Image Credit: Castro-Cisneros et al. 2023
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
The Flower Moon blooms this week - here's when to watch May's full moonSkywatchers can catch May's Flower Moon this week, as well as other nightsky spectacles, including a meteor shower.
Read more »
Letter: Consider effect of zoning change on nearby residentsA Huntley letter to the editor: Consider effect of zoning change on nearby residents
Read more »
Natural Gas Price Analysis: XNG/USD drops to $2.37 within nearby descending triangleNatural Gas Price (XNG/USD) holds lower grounds near $2.37 during the early hours of Tuesday, after posting the first daily loss in three the previous
Read more »
Shot fired at Memphis TV station; suspect in nearby businessA Memphis television station says a shot was fired at its building, but no one was wounded. memphis kprc2 click2hou
Read more »
Shot fired at Memphis TV station; suspect in nearby businessA Memphis television station says a shot was fired at its building, but no one was wounded
Read more »
School, vote center lockdown lifted after domestic disturbance nearby: Live updatesLockdown lifted at school and polling center after nearby domestic disturbance: See more live election updates
Read more »