6Q0B44E
Encyclopedia
6Q0B44E, sometimes abbreviated to B44E, is a small object, probably an item of space debris
, currently orbiting the Earth
outside the orbit of the Moon
.
6Q0B44E was first observed by Catalina Sky Survey
researchers at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory
of the University of Arizona
on 28 August 2006. The sighting was confirmed the next day by observations at the Siding Spring Survey
and Table Mountain Observatory
.
The object is just a few metres across and has been provisionally classified as artificial. B44E orbits the Earth between 585,000 and 983,000 km, which is 2 to 3 times the distance of the Moon's orbit, over a period of 80 days.
B44E was spotted at what is believed to be the brightest part of its orbit, at the 19th magnitude
. As the object moves away from the Earth, its brightness will fall on a six-month cycle down to the 28th magnitude, severely limiting study of its composition.
Ephemerides calculated from the observations suggest that B44E probably entered the Earth–Moon system between 2001 and 2003, although it may have arrived up to a decade earlier. Similarities between the discoveries of B44E and J002E3
, now believed to be part of the Apollo 12
rocket, have led some astronomers to speculate that B44E may be another relic of human space exploration which has returned to Earth orbit.
Space debris
Space debris, also known as orbital debris, space junk, and space waste, is the collection of objects in orbit around Earth that were created by humans but no longer serve any useful purpose. These objects consist of everything from spent rocket stages and defunct satellites to erosion, explosion...
, currently orbiting the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
outside the orbit of the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
.
6Q0B44E was first observed by Catalina Sky Survey
Catalina Sky Survey
Catalina Sky Survey is a project to discover comets and asteroids, and to search for Near-Earth objects. More specifically, to search for potentially hazardous asteroids , that may pose a threat of impact.-Mission:...
researchers at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory
Lunar and Planetary Laboratory
The Lunar and Planetary Laboratory is a research center for planetary science located in Tucson, Arizona. It is also a graduate school, constituting the Department of Planetary Sciences at the University of Arizona...
of the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
on 28 August 2006. The sighting was confirmed the next day by observations at the Siding Spring Survey
Siding Spring Survey
The Siding Spring Survey is a Near-Earth object search program that uses the 0.5-m Uppsala Schmidt Telescope at Siding Spring Observatory, New South Wales, Australia. It is the southern hemisphere counterpart of the Catalina Sky Survey located in the Santa Catalina Mountains on Mt Bigelow, near...
and Table Mountain Observatory
Table Mountain Observatory
Table Mountain Observatory is an astronomical observation facility operated by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory...
.
The object is just a few metres across and has been provisionally classified as artificial. B44E orbits the Earth between 585,000 and 983,000 km, which is 2 to 3 times the distance of the Moon's orbit, over a period of 80 days.
B44E was spotted at what is believed to be the brightest part of its orbit, at the 19th magnitude
Apparent magnitude
The apparent magnitude of a celestial body is a measure of its brightness as seen by an observer on Earth, adjusted to the value it would have in the absence of the atmosphere...
. As the object moves away from the Earth, its brightness will fall on a six-month cycle down to the 28th magnitude, severely limiting study of its composition.
Ephemerides calculated from the observations suggest that B44E probably entered the Earth–Moon system between 2001 and 2003, although it may have arrived up to a decade earlier. Similarities between the discoveries of B44E and J002E3
J002E3
J002E3 is the designation given to a supposed asteroid discovered by amateur astronomer Bill Yeung on September 3, 2002. Further examination revealed the object was not a rock asteroid but instead the S-IVB third stage of the Apollo 12 Saturn V rocket .When it was first discovered it was quickly...
, now believed to be part of the Apollo 12
Apollo 12
Apollo 12 was the sixth manned flight in the American Apollo program and the second to land on the Moon . It was launched on November 14, 1969 from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, four months after Apollo 11. Mission commander Charles "Pete" Conrad and Lunar Module Pilot Alan L...
rocket, have led some astronomers to speculate that B44E may be another relic of human space exploration which has returned to Earth orbit.
See also
- 2006 RH1202006 RH1202006 RH120 is a tiny near-Earth asteroid with a diameter of about five metres, which ordinarily orbits the Sun but makes close approaches to the Earth–Moon system every twenty years or so. Occasionally the object temporarily enters Earth orbit through temporary satellite capture...
- 3753 Cruithne3753 Cruithne3753 Cruithne is an asteroid in orbit around the Sun in approximate 1:1 orbital resonance with the Earth. It is a periodic inclusion planetoid orbiting the Sun in an apparent horseshoe orbit. It has been incorrectly called "Earth's second moon", but it is only a quasi-satellite. Cruithne never...
- An asteroid in an Earth horseshoe orbitHorseshoe orbitA horseshoe orbit is a type of co-orbital motion of a small orbiting body relative to a larger orbiting body . The orbital period of the smaller body is very nearly the same as for the larger body, and its path appears to have a horseshoe shape in a rotating reference frame as viewed from the...
- Another asteroid in an Earth horseshoe orbit - Natural satelliteNatural satelliteA natural satellite or moon is a celestial body that orbits a planet or smaller body, which is called its primary. The two terms are used synonymously for non-artificial satellites of planets, of dwarf planets, and of minor planets....
External links
- The Distant Artificial Satellites Observation Page, accessed 2011-01-08
- Discovery of 6Q0B44E, by Richard Kowalski 30 August 2006