Earth has a temporary extra moon for the holidays. A tiny asteroid designated 2026 QQ8 was pulled into a temporary Earth orbit in April and is expected to remain until January 2027, Live Science reported. Hungarian researcher Krisztián Sárneczky first observed the object in August. The International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center, which logs and confirms new solar system objects, officially reported it on Oct. 29.
2026 QQ8 is only about 6 feet (2 meters) across, according to the IAU. If it got too close to Earth, it would likely burn up in the atmosphere. Researchers do not think that is likely. The object is currently orbiting at around 1.5 times the average distance of the moon. It takes 359 days, almost a full Earth year, to orbit the sun, and it comes close to our planet every 10 years or so. The minimoon is classified as an Aten asteroid, a population of space rocks that can cross Earth's orbit and have semimajor axes smaller than Earth's, meaning they typically travel closer to the sun than we do. Large Aten asteroids are considered among the most dangerous, because they can be lost in the sun's glare before heading toward Earth. This companion, Live Science noted, is far too small to pose that kind of threat.
2026 QQ8 is not the first minimoon found circling Earth. That distinction belongs to 1991 VG, which was around 30 feet (10 meters) in diameter when it was detected in November 1991. Astronomers now think Earth grabs minimoons fairly often, and that the planet is likely to have at least one at any given time. Most stay for less than a year, though a handful may remain in Earth's gravitational pull for decades.
New telescopes should make these temporary companions easier to spot. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, which began operation earlier this year, scans the entire Southern Hemisphere sky every few days. Live Science noted that Rubin has already spotted what may be a new dwarf planet in the outer solar system, as well as a new satellite galaxy of the Milky Way. Over a planned 10-year mission, the observatory is expected to detect millions of previously unknown moving objects. The confirmed facts about 2026 QQ8 are its size, its April capture, the Oct. 29 report, its distance, and an expected departure in January 2027. It is a guest, not a permanent new moon.