Say goodbye to Earth’s ‘mini-moon’ this afternoon

With all that is happening in 2020, you might have missed the story of the mysterious flying object that fell into Earth’s orbit in September 2020. Not knowing exactly what it was, it was called “SO 2020” and considered a “mini moon” – a term used to describe temporary satellites.

In December, NASA researchers determined that it was in fact a piece of human-made space debris: the remains of a rocket thruster from the 1960s used in American Surveyor lunar missions. While this has been one of the possible explanations for the mini moon since it was spotted in September, it wasn’t until it came close to Earth on December 1. that astronomers were able to confirm his identity.

But if you missed the rocket thruster’s appearance in December, you’re in luck – it’ll be back for one final farewell victory lap this afternoon. Here’s how to look at it.

How to watch the final orbit of the mini moon / rocket booster

Today the mini-moon / space junk from the 1960s will be 140,000 miles from Earth, 58% of the way from Earth to Moon, according to EarthSky. And while it’s not close enough to be able to see with the naked eye, we’re fortunate enough to catch his last visit, thanks to the Virtual telescope project in Rome.

Here’s how Italian astrophysicist and astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project, describes today’s event:

After its extremely close overview last December, 2020 SO is approaching very close again, this time to say goodbye. As we know, this is the booster for the Surveyor 2 space mission, which was temporarily captured by our planet. Soon this artificial mini-moon will leave our neighborhood, escaping into a new orbit around the Sun. We will say goodbye, live: join us from the comfort of your home!

To watch the final passage of the mini-moon, listen to the Virtual Telescope Project live stream here. According to Masi, it will be most visible above the group’s robotic telescopes in central Italy from 5 p.m.T.

What happens to the mini moon after this?

Although the rocket thruster is no longer visible after today, it will slowly pull away, eventually leaving Earth orbit in March 2021. After that, it will begin to circle around the sun. We wish him the best in his future endeavors.