The object is on a trajectory in which it will be temporarily caught by Earths gravity.
It will complete just one orbit over that time before careening away.
A similar thing happened in July 2006, when a mini-moon hung around Earth for about a year.
Artist’s impression of an asteroid in orbit around the Sun.© DOE/FNAL/DECam/CTIO/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/J. da Silva/Spaceengine
Another orbited the planet for several years, before escaping Earths gravitational pull in May 2020.
In 2020, scientists said they discovered what theybelieved was a mini-moon, but the data was inconclusive.
Amateur astronomer Tony Dunn posted a simulation of the asteroids path on X, which is illuminating.
The astronomers calculated it will fly past Earth again on January 9, 2025.
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