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As it orbits the Sun, this new asteroid, designated 2016 HO3, appears to circle around Earth as well. It is too distant to be considered a true satellite of our planet, but it is the best and most stable example to date of a near-Earth companion, or ‘quasi-satellite,’ NASA said.
“Since 2016 HO3 loops around our planet, but never ventures far away as we both go around the Sun, we refer to it as a quasi-satellite of Earth,” said Paul Chodas, manager of NASA’s Centre for Near-Earth Object (NEO) Studies at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California.
“Another asteroid – 2003 YN107 – followed a similar pattern over 10 years ago, but has since departed our vicinity. This new asteroid is more locked onto us,” said Chodas. “Our calculations indicate 2016 HO3 has been a stable quasi-satellite of Earth for almost a century, and it will continue to follow this pattern as Earth’s companion for centuries to come,” he added.
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