New Decade and a New Moon

//A Sudden Space Sighting//

It’s just coming up to three months of the new decade and so much is happening in the world already. Viruses, rolling back age, soft forks (cough) and so much more. Space is extraordinarily vast, I am always intrigued about what lies beyond and the discoveries of scientists are constantly catching my attention. Perhaps the latest headline based on a report from the Minor Planet Center (MPEC) is something I would not have expected. The discovery of 2020 CD3, a temporary object was sighted. It’s being noted as a miniature moon, meaning it is in orbit around our planet following a relatively recognisable pathway. It is incredibly tiny but big enough to be sighted, estimated to be just a few meters in size.

//Not So Stabilised Orbit//

Objects come and go from our system and this new visitor is calculated to complete an orbit cycle round the Earth in 47 days. 2020 CD3 is being treated as a temporary visitor and its orbit path is expected to eventually be disrupted, sending it off to its next adventure. It’s amazing to think that our planet has visitors now and then. Nobody is quite sure what this temporary moon is, there is much uncertainty about its exact movements. It’s expected to go off course in the coming weeks but is being monitored closely.

//Keeping Watch//

Technology and science has come leaps and bounds, to a point where space travel is starting to become accessible to enthusiasts. Protecting the planet has been a priority for all of humanity and much resource is poured into understanding issues happening on the planet and off of it. Monitoring orbiting objects, especially if they are of considerable mass is important. Asteroid impact assessment is an operation overseen by NASA and monitors any potential threats that might come hurtling towards the planet. Needless to say, caution and understanding is definitely priority for scientists to ensure that the new moon does not behave abnormally. While simulations can predict a lot about life nowadays, the scientific realm has understood that assumptions are only that. Constant data collection and monitoring is needed to further our understanding of matters in space, leading to further innovation and solutions if required.

//Predict and Compare//

While this new moon may come just as soon as it arrived, I think it’s an exciting prospect of new visitors to arrive in our system. Without monitoring and reports, this might have been missed entirely. As scientists watch with an open mind, it shows that society is hungry to learn more and test their own theoretical models against actual unfolding events. The closer we get to perfecting our predictive models now, the better prepared we will be for the next visitor or even miniature crisis.

Sources
https://www.nasa.gov/planetarydefense/faq
https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/mpec/K20/K20DA4.html
https://phys.org/news/2020-02-earth-moon.html