Where did Earth's oddball 'quasi-moon' come from? Scientists pinpoint famed lunar crater.

  • Published In: Sciencemag.org, 2024. P. N.PAG 1 of 3

  • Database: Applied Science & Technology Source Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Clery, Daniel 3 of 3

Abstract

A team of researchers has modeled the origin of an unusual near-Earth rocky object, known as 469219 Kamo'oalewa, which is suspected to be a chunk of the Moon blasted into space by an impact. The researchers identified the asteroid strike that created the Giordano Bruno crater on the Moon as the most likely source of the object. The asteroid's composition and orbit have led to it being chosen as the first target for China's sample return mission Tianwen-2. If the researchers are correct, studying the asteroid's composition could provide valuable insights into the Moon's history and its contribution to Earth's environment. [Extracted from the article]

Additional Information

  • Source:Sciencemag.org. 2024/04, pN.PAG
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Physics
  • Publication Date:2024
  • Accession Number:176783441
  • Copyright Statement:Copyright of Sciencemag.org is the property of American Association for the Advancement of Science and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Looking to go deeper into this topic? Look for more articles on EBSCOhost.