Lunita
"Why the moon?!?" a friend asked me the other day. "Why did you decide to name your business, La Luna Press, after the moon?"
I gave him the honest answer:
"Once upon a time, I fell in love with a man who was in love with the moon. A few months later, I left the relationship, but kept the moon."
The rest, as they say, is history. From then on, the moon has never left my life.
The moon has been featured in the news of late. Have you heard? The Earth now has a second moon! It was once an asteroid that got into our gravitational pull and entered the Earth's orbit. It's called: "2020 CD-3"
"2020 CD-3 was discovered on February 15 by astronomers at the Catalina Sky Survey, based in Tucson, Arizona. More than 30 observations were made of the object by February 17, according to asteroid-and comet-hunter Kacper Wierzchos, one of its discoverers along with astronomer Theodore Pruyne. Those observations were needed to refine an orbit for the object, and to confirm it does appear to be orbiting Earth."
https://earthsky.org/space/new-natural-temporary-moon-for-earth-2020-cd3
So how did this actually happen, that we have come to find ourselves with two moons?
"The solar system is full of primordial crumbs, most of which circle the sun in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Sometimes, Jupiter's gravitational influence sends those space rocks careening toward the inner solar system, where some could threaten Earth. While they orbit near us, they don't orbit us. That's what makes 2020 CD3 so rare. Around 18 months to a year ago, the Earth-moon system's gravity captured the tiny rock in an orbital dance."
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/27/science/mini-moon-earth.html
The asteroid is much smaller than our planet, and is thought to be between 6 and 12 feet in diameter. As amazing as this is, that it is now in our orbit, it is a temporary phenomenon:
"The asteroid is expected to drop out of orbit around the Earth in April and return to a heliocentric orbit, which is an orbit around the sun."
https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/26/world/earth-mini-moon-asteroid-scn-trnd/index.html
In researching this celestial happening, I learned that this has actually happened before, in 2006, with the asteroid known has "2006 RH120."
"Normally, this one orbits the Sun. But about every 20 years, it comes close to the Earth-Moon system and can enter orbit around Earth temporarily. That’s called Temporary Satellite Capture (TCS). Rather than an asteroid, astronomers think it might be a piece of the Moon that was ejected by an impact. 2006 RH120 has left Earth’s orbit and now orbits the Sun."
https://www.universetoday.com/145157/astronomers-discover-a-tiny-new-temporary-moon-for-the-earth-welcome-to-the-family-2020-cd3/
So what exactly happened to that asteroid? Where did it go?
"The previous moonlet orbited Earth in 2006 and 2007 before rejoining its fellow asteroids. Some observers initially thought that object, designated 2006 RH120, was a piece of a rocket booster from the Apollo 12 mission, but astronomers eventually determined it was a rock. It's expected to return in August 2028."
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/27/science/mini-moon-earth.html
https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericmack/2020/02/26/earth-has-captured-a-second-tiny-mini-moon/#cb395158cd91
Learning of this phenomenon, I began to think of a name for the mini moon. As I refer to the moon as Luna, I have dubbed this moon "Lunita", Spanish for "little moon."
I do not know how long little Lunita will be with us, perhaps another month or more. But, I hope she has had a wonderful visit with us, and that she eventually has a safe journey home.
Welcome Lunita. We're glad to have you. Stay as long as you like.
I gave him the honest answer:
"Once upon a time, I fell in love with a man who was in love with the moon. A few months later, I left the relationship, but kept the moon."
The rest, as they say, is history. From then on, the moon has never left my life.
The moon has been featured in the news of late. Have you heard? The Earth now has a second moon! It was once an asteroid that got into our gravitational pull and entered the Earth's orbit. It's called: "2020 CD-3"
"2020 CD-3 was discovered on February 15 by astronomers at the Catalina Sky Survey, based in Tucson, Arizona. More than 30 observations were made of the object by February 17, according to asteroid-and comet-hunter Kacper Wierzchos, one of its discoverers along with astronomer Theodore Pruyne. Those observations were needed to refine an orbit for the object, and to confirm it does appear to be orbiting Earth."
https://earthsky.org/space/new-natural-temporary-moon-for-earth-2020-cd3
So how did this actually happen, that we have come to find ourselves with two moons?
"The solar system is full of primordial crumbs, most of which circle the sun in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. Sometimes, Jupiter's gravitational influence sends those space rocks careening toward the inner solar system, where some could threaten Earth. While they orbit near us, they don't orbit us. That's what makes 2020 CD3 so rare. Around 18 months to a year ago, the Earth-moon system's gravity captured the tiny rock in an orbital dance."
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/27/science/mini-moon-earth.html
The asteroid is much smaller than our planet, and is thought to be between 6 and 12 feet in diameter. As amazing as this is, that it is now in our orbit, it is a temporary phenomenon:
"The asteroid is expected to drop out of orbit around the Earth in April and return to a heliocentric orbit, which is an orbit around the sun."
https://www.cnn.com/2020/02/26/world/earth-mini-moon-asteroid-scn-trnd/index.html
In researching this celestial happening, I learned that this has actually happened before, in 2006, with the asteroid known has "2006 RH120."
"Normally, this one orbits the Sun. But about every 20 years, it comes close to the Earth-Moon system and can enter orbit around Earth temporarily. That’s called Temporary Satellite Capture (TCS). Rather than an asteroid, astronomers think it might be a piece of the Moon that was ejected by an impact. 2006 RH120 has left Earth’s orbit and now orbits the Sun."
https://www.universetoday.com/145157/astronomers-discover-a-tiny-new-temporary-moon-for-the-earth-welcome-to-the-family-2020-cd3/
So what exactly happened to that asteroid? Where did it go?
"The previous moonlet orbited Earth in 2006 and 2007 before rejoining its fellow asteroids. Some observers initially thought that object, designated 2006 RH120, was a piece of a rocket booster from the Apollo 12 mission, but astronomers eventually determined it was a rock. It's expected to return in August 2028."
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/27/science/mini-moon-earth.html
Throughout the history of the universe, this has most probably happened before. Yet, as far as we are aware, this is is only the second time that an asteroid has joined Earth's orbit. Astronomer Kacper Wierzchos spoke on the matter:
"It's a big deal as out of (around) 1 million known asteroids, this is just the second asteroid known to orbit Earth."https://www.forbes.com/sites/ericmack/2020/02/26/earth-has-captured-a-second-tiny-mini-moon/#cb395158cd91
Learning of this phenomenon, I began to think of a name for the mini moon. As I refer to the moon as Luna, I have dubbed this moon "Lunita", Spanish for "little moon."
I do not know how long little Lunita will be with us, perhaps another month or more. But, I hope she has had a wonderful visit with us, and that she eventually has a safe journey home.
Welcome Lunita. We're glad to have you. Stay as long as you like.
Image source/Artist:
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