The Minor Planet Center (MPC) has confirmed that the small asteroid 2026 QQ8 has been temporarily captured by Earth's gravity and is now orbiting our planet. This was reported by Live Science.
The object was first discovered in August by the Hungarian researcher Krisztián Sárneczky.
The asteroid's diameter is estimated at around two metres. It is currently about one and a half times farther away than the Moon, so it poses no threat to Earth. Even in a closer approach, the object would most likely burn up in the atmosphere.
2026 QQ8 completes a full orbit around the Sun in 359 days and belongs to the Aten group of asteroids. It will remain in Earth's vicinity until January 2027, after which it will leave its gravitational field.
Scientists note that the temporary capture of small asteroids by Earth happens fairly often. Most such objects stay near our planet for less than a year, but some can remain in its gravitational field for decades.
