Earth captures mini-moon asteroid 2026 QQ8

Earth has captured a new mini-moon, Asteroid 2026 QQ8, after the space rock fell into the planet's gravitational pull in April and entered a looping orbit, The Independent reports.

Discovery and reporting

The asteroid was first detected in August by Hungarian astronomer Kriztián Sárneczky, according to The Independent. EarthSky states the discovery date was August 20, 2026, and that the Minor Planet Center reported it on October 29, 2026. The International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center recently published the discovery, The Independent reports.

Size, distance and orbit

The Independent reports the asteroid has a diameter of around 2 metres and will come no closer than around 568,000 kilometres (353,000 miles) to Earth, about 1.5 times the average distance between the Moon and Earth. EarthSky gives the size as about 3 feet (1 meter) and the closest approach as 0.0038 astronomical units, also about 1.5 times farther than the Moon.

The Independent says the asteroid will complete one and a half revolutions before escaping in 2027. EarthSky says it became temporarily bound in late April and should stick with Earth through December, then continue on its own journey in 2027. Because the sources disagree on when it leaves, the exact departure time is not stated here.

Context

The Independent notes that a study last year suggested there could be up to six temporary mini-moons around Earth at any one time, and that many could be fragments of the Moon blasted into space by impact events. EarthSky lists previous mini-moons including 2020 SO, 2020 CD3, 2024 PT5, and the quasi-moon 2025 PN7. EarthSky also says 2026 QQ8 came close to Earth in 1965 and will come close again in 2058, but neither time was close enough for temporary capture.

Why it matters

Temporary mini-moons are relatively common, and tracking them helps astronomers understand near-Earth objects and the dynamics of Earth's gravitational capture of small space rocks.

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Sources

• independent.co.uk: The Earth has a new moon | The Independent
• earthsky.org: A new mini-moon for Earth! Meet 2026 QQ8
• bdnews24.com: Earth captures new 'lilliputian' mini-moon expected to orbit until 2027

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.