A Tiny Object Thought to Be Space Junk Is Earth's Newest Mini-Moon, but 2026 QQ8 Isn't Sticking Around
Learn more about 2026 QQ8, also known as Earth's newest mini-moon that was first spotted on Aug. 20, 2026.
A cosmic newcomer has been dubbed Earth's newest mini-moon, a small asteroid temporarily captured by our planet's gravity. The celestial body, designated 2026 QQ8, was initially unnoticed as it drifted too close to Earth in April 2026. Identified by Hungarian astronomer Krisztián Sárneczky on August 20, 2026, the 1-meter-long rock was subsequently confirmed as a natural object by the Minor Planet Center of the International Astronomical Union in late October 2026.
Orbiting the Earth for a limited duration of approximately one month, 2026 QQ8 is not expected to pose any threat to our planet, as it reached its closest point to Earth at a distance of 537,000 kilometers, roughly 0.0038 astronomical units (around 1.5 times the distance between Earth and the Moon).
Written by urgent.news from Discover Magazine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
