Temporary satellite

"mini-moon" redirects here. For the Sailor Moon character, see Chibiusa.

A temporary satellite is an object which has been captured by the gravitational field of a planet and thus has become the planet's natural satellite, but, unlike irregular moons of the larger outer planets of the Solar System, will eventually either leave its orbit around the planet or collide with the planet. The only observed examples are 2006 RH120, a temporary satellite of Earth for twelve months from July 2006 to July 2007, 2020 CD3[1][2] and 2022 NX1. Some defunct space probes or rockets have also been observed on temporary satellite orbits.[3]

In astrophysics, a temporary satellite is any body that enters the Hill sphere of a planet at a sufficiently low velocity such that it becomes gravitationally bound to the planet for some period of time.[4]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference Shefford was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "MPEC 2020-D104 : 2020 CD3: Temporarily Captured Object". Minor Planet Electronic Circular. Minor Planet Center. 25 February 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference rocket-or-rock was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Lissauer, Jack J.; de Pater, Imke (2019). Fundamental Planetary Sciences : physics, chemistry, and habitability. New York, NY, USA: Cambridge University Press. p. 34. ISBN 9781108411981. Comets or other bodies that enter the Hill sphere of a planet at very low velocity can remain gravitationally bound to the planet for some time as temporary satellites.