Giving a New Meaning to the Term “New Moon”: Earth has a Second Satellite

Whitley’s book 2012: The War For Souls involved the inter-dimensional invasion of a parallel Earth that had a number of marked differences from our own, including one departure where that Earth had two moons. However, as life sometimes imitates art, our own reality has taken an odd step toward being a bit more like Two-Moon Earth, in that it has been found that we have a second natural "quasi-satellite" accompanying our previously solitary Moon.

Unfortunately, star-struck lovers won’t likely be canoodling under this new moon, designated 2016 HO3, as it’s estimated to be only, at most, 330 feet (100 meters) across, and never comes closer than 9 million miles (14.5 million kilometers) to us, so it is invisible to the naked eye.

This new satellite was discovered in April by astronomers using the Pan-STARRS 1 survey telescope in Hawaii, and poses no threat of impact with the Earth, being in a stable orbit. It is being called a quasi-satellite because it is actually in orbit around the Sun, rather than the Earth as the Moon is, but the nature of 2016 HO3’s orbit makes it look as if it is in orbit around Earth, in a perpetual game of leapfrog as we both circle the Sun. "In effect, this small asteroid is caught in a little dance with Earth," muses the manager of NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, Paul Chodas.

A previously-known asteroid, 2003 YN107, followed a similar orbit, but its orbit carried it away from us over ten years ago. "This new asteroid is much more locked onto us," Chodas explains, regarding 2016 HO3. "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."