See Earth's 'Mini-Moon' for the Last Time This Afternoon

Photo: NASA Image Library

With everything else going on in 2020, you might have missed the story about the mysterious flying object that dropped into the Earth’s orbit in September 2020. Unsure of exactly what it was, it was referred to as “SO 2020" and considered a “mini-moon”—a term used to describe temporary satellites.

By December, NASA researchers determined that it was actually a piece of human-made space debris: the remains of a 1960s rocket booster used in the American Surveyor moon missions. Though this had been one of the possible explanations of the mini-moon since it was spotted in September, it wasn’t until it came closest to Earth on December 1 that astronomers were able to confirm its identity.

But if you missed the rocket booster’s appearance in December, you’re in luck: it’ll be back for a final farewell victory lap this afternoon. Here’s how to watch it.

How to watch the mini-moon/rocket booster’s final orbit

Today, the mini-moon/1960s space debris will be 140,000 miles from Earth, or 58% of the way between Earth and the moon, according to EarthSky. And while that’s not close enough to be able to see with the naked eye, we do have the chance of catching its final visit, thanks to the Virtual Telescope Project in Rome.

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

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

To watch the mini-moon’s final pass, tune into the Virtual Telescope Project’s live feed here. According to Masi, it will be most visible above the group’s robotic telescopes in central Italy starting at 5 p.m. ET.

What happens to the mini-moon after this?

While the rocket booster will no longer be visible after today, it will slowly drift away, eventually leaving the Earth’s orbit in March 2021. After that, it will begin orbiting the sun. We wish it all the best in its future endeavors.

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