Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter The Earth has caught a new mini-moon and it will remain for Christmas. The space rock, designated 2026 QQ8, was first observed in August 2026 after entering orbit around Earth in April 2026. The discovery was reported by the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center on Thursday (Oct. 29). The minimoon will remain enslaved by Earth’s gravity until December before breaking apart in 2027. Scientists have recreated QQ8’s orbital path and found that it takes 359 days, or about 0.98 of an Earth year, to orbit the sun. QQ8 approaches Earth about once every ten years, but this time the object came so close that Earth was able to capture it gravitationally. According to the Minor Planet Center, the closest QQ8 will get to our planet during this stay is about 353,000 miles (568,000 kilometers). That’s about 110,000 miles (177,000 km) farther than the average distance between Earth and the Moon. Even if QQ8 were to come close enough to collide with Earth, it would likely be completely destroyed in our planet’s atmosphere before reaching the surface, since it is only about 6 feet (2 meters) in diameter. You may like A fireball burns in the Earth’s atmosphere. QQ8 would look like this if it entered Earth’s atmosphere. (Image credit: Xiong Yi via Getty Images) This is far from the first time Earth has snagged a minimoon, more accurately called a temporal satellite. In fact, research last year suggested that our planet could be orbited by up to six minimoons at any given time, and many of them are fragments of our most permanent natural satellite, the moon. While QQ8 is small, it is larger than the average mini-moon. This is according to modeling from earlier this year that suggested the average size of a temporary satellite is 75 centimeters (30 inches) wide. The same model suggested that the average stay of such an object would be around nine months. So if QQ8 was captured in April 2026, that means it should drift away in January 2027. The researchers behind those findings suggested that if Earth gravitationally grabbed a space rock about 10 feet (3 meters) wide, it could serve as a minimoon for 10 to 20 years.
