HONOLULU, Hawaii—A mysterious asteroid dubbed 2016 HO3, believed to be a fragment of the moon, has puzzled astronomers since its discovery in 2016. Recent research has unveiled a crucial connection in the enigmatic journey of this rare quasi-satellite orbiting near Earth. Known as Kamo’oalewa, the asteroid was initially spotted using the Pan-STARRS telescope in Hawaii, orbiting the sun while staying in close proximity to our planet.
Scientists have long speculated on the origins of near-Earth asteroids, with most believed to originate from the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. However, new findings suggest that Kamo’oalewa likely emerged from the Giordano Bruno crater on the moon’s far side, a revelation detailed in a recent study published in Nature Astronomy.
Lead study author Yifei Jiao, together with coauthor Erik Asphaug, shed light on the surprising connection between the asteroid and the moon. The asteroid, measuring between 150 and 190 feet in diameter, comes within 9 million miles of Earth during its orbit, prompting astronomers to track its movements closely for potential hazards.
Further research focused on the asteroid’s characteristics, such as its reflectivity resembling lunar materials and its relatively low orbital velocity concerning Earth, indicating a nearby origin. By conducting simulations, astronomers narrowed down the potential lunar craters that could have ejected Kamo’oalewa into space, ultimately pinpointing Giordano Bruno as the likely starting point for the asteroid’s journey.
The impact event that dislodged Kamo’oalewa from the lunar surface is estimated to have created a crater larger than 6 to 12 miles in diameter, excavating the asteroid at several miles per second. These simulations provided insights into the survival of Kamo’oalewa as a singular fragment while hundreds of smaller pieces were expelled into space.
Understanding the asteroid’s lunar origin could unravel vital clues about space rocks’ potential role in carrying life’s ingredients to Earth. The impending Tianwen-2 mission from China aims to collect samples from Kamo’oalewa, offering a unique opportunity to study the moon’s far side and its subsurface composition.
The scientific community anticipates that studying these samples could provide valuable insights into how space radiation impacts asteroids and moons over time. As researchers await the return of samples from Kamo’oalewa, they eagerly anticipate uncovering new revelations about our solar system and the possibility of life beyond Earth.