A quasi‑moon is an asteroid that orbits the Sun but its orbit closely matches our own. The recently discovered 2025 PN7 and older 2016 HO3 orbit near our own moon and have recently caught the attention of astronomers for their out-of-the-ordinary composition. China plans to investigate the nearby quasi-moon 2016 HO3 on the current Tianwen-2 mission to discover its origins.
Join us this week as Mike explores the recent interest in these unusual asteroids and what they could reveal about planetary impacts.
Astro Brief is a collaboration between KSMU, the Missouri Space Grant, and MSU's Department of Physics, Astronomy and Materials Science. Hosted by Dr. Mike Reed, Astro Brief focuses on astronomical events, the field of astronomy, and astronomy-related guests. It airs Thursdays at 9:45 am on KSMU.