(2020 CD₃)

Author(s): Art Blos

Release date:

2020 CD3 is a NEO asteroid that turned out to be a small temporary moon of Earth. It was discovered on February 15, 2020 at Mount Lemmon Observatory (MLO) in Arizona. It is believed that 2020 CD3 was captured by the Earth in mid 2016 or 2017 and left it in May 2020. While orbiting the Earth, interference from the Moon and Sun's gravity greatly affected the orbit of 2020 CD3 and left it with an unstable orbit. It has now left Earth's orbit and is orbiting the Sun. 2020 CD3 is about 1.2 meters in diameter, really a very small object.

Simulation of the orbit of 2020 CD3 (in red) around the Earth between 2017 and 2020.

2020 CD3 real image captured by the Gemini North Observatory in Hawaii.

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