Earth has captured a tiny new moon, according to astronomers who confirm that a small asteroid has become Earth’s newest natural satellite, at least for a while.
The object, known as asteroid 2026 QQ8, was first discovered in August by Hungarian astronomer Krisztián Sárneczky. At an estimated diameter of only a meter, the space rock initially caused confusion over whether it was indeed a natural space object or leftover debris from a past space launch.
Since its discovery, the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center confirmed 2026 QQ8’s natural origin, along with new orbital calculations that reveal it will temporarily remain in Earth’s orbit as a new mini moon, albeit a very small one.
“Orbit integrations indicate that this object is temporarily bound to the Earth,” read the announcement appearing in The Minor Planet Electronic Circulars on October 29, 2026.
“No link to a known artificial object has been found,” the Minor Planet Center’s statement added.
Earth’s Newest Mini Moon
According to available data on its approach, 2026 QQ8 began making close approaches in April and May before becoming gravitationally bound to Earth. On August 18, the asteroid came to within approximately 334,000 miles of Earth, a distance that still posed no collision threat.
While astronomers have referred to it as a mini moon, it differs from the category of celestial objects known as quasi-moons, which maintain their orbit around the Sun while appearing to accompany the Earth for a time. 2026 QQ8, by contrast, has legitimately been captured by Earth’s gravity and entered its orbit, although the asteroid is expected to soon escape and will thereafter resume its orbit around the Sun.
That is expected to occur sometime around the middle of December, although it may return for another close encounter with Earth at some point in the future.
These temporary celestial companions can offer very valuable opportunities to investigate near-Earth asteroids, and may also help astronomers improve our overall knowledge of the Solar System and how it formed.
Studying such objects also provides us with potentially useful information to help with planning for future planetary defense initiatives.
“Further observations and dynamical studies are strongly encouraged,” the Minor Planet Center’s announcement on October 29 stated.
Micah Hanks is the Editor-in-Chief and Co-Founder of The Debrief. A longtime reporter on science, defense, and technology with a focus on space and astronomy, he can be reached at micah@thedebrief.org. Follow him on X @MicahHanks, and at micahhanks.com.