With everything going on in 2020, you may have missed the story about the mysterious flying object that fell into the earth’s orbit September 2020. Uncertain to exactly what it was, was referred to as ‘SO 2020’ and considered a ‘mini-moon’ – a term used to describe temporary satellites.
By December, NASA researchers had determined that it was actually a piece of man-made space debris: the remains of a rocket amplifier from the 1960s used in U.S. surveying missions. Although it was one of the possible explanations of the minimum since it was spotted in September, it only came closest to Earth on December 1st. that astronomers could confirm its identity.
But if you missed the look of the rocket launcher in December, you’re in luck: it’s back this afternoon for one last farewell victory. Here’s how to look at it.
How to view the final orbit of the mini-moon / rocket amplifier
Today, the minimum / 1960 space debris will be 140,000 miles from the earth, or 58% of the path between the earth and the moon, according to EarthSky. And although it is not close enough to see with the naked eye, we have the chance to get his last visit, thanks to the Virtual telescope project in Rome.
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Here’s how Italian astrophysicist and astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project, describes today’s event:
After its extremely close flight last December, 2020 SO is surely coming very close again, this time to say goodbye. As we know, it is the stimulant of the Surveyor 2 space mission, temporarily captured by our planet. Soon, this artificial mini-moon will leave our surroundings and escape on a new orbit around the sun. We will say goodbye, live: come to us from the comfort of your home!
To watch the final pace of the mini-moon, link here to the live stream of the Virtual Telescope Project. According to Masi, it will be most visible above the group’s telescopes in central Italy from 17:00 ET.
What happens to the mini-moon after this?
While the rocket launcher is no longer visible today, it will slowly drift away and eventually leave the Earth’s orbit in March 2021. After that, it will orbit the sun. We wish it all the best in the future.