Astronomers Find Newly Discovered Asteroid Is Earth's Companion

Astronomers Find Newly Discovered Asteroid Is Earth's Companion

www.sciencedaily.com

Astronomers from the Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland have found that a recently discovered asteroid has been following Earth in its motion around the Sun for at least the past 250,000 years, and may be intimately related to the origin of our planet.

"intimately related to the origin of our planet"

(visit the link for the full news article)

This asteroid is following a horseshoe shape from Earth's perspective - always staying away from Earth. In reality (not our perspective) it's in a circular orbit and doesn't come close to any other planet besides Earth.

it appears to slowly trace out a horseshoe shape in space. Asteroid 2010 SO16 takes 175 years to make the trip from one end of the horseshoe to the other. So while on the one hand its orbit is remarkably similar to Earth's, in fact "this asteroid is terraphobic," explains Tolis. "It keeps well away from the Earth. So well, in fact, that it has likely been in this orbit for several hundred thousand years, never coming closer to our planet than 50 times the distance to the Moon.

I sorta get the feeling that every new thing discovered will be put into the "Nibiru" category. I don't know much about Nibiru or what mythical information we have about it - feel free to share if you have the origins of the idea.

www.sciencedaily.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Check out the link - I don't want to copy too much in here, but here's one more bit:
"Ultimately, Christou and Asher would like to know where it came from, and they have already thought of several possibilities..."

reply to post by Thermo Klein


I don't know anything about this Nibiru stuff, but to have an asteroid shadowing us for a couple hundred thousand years is pretty cool

S&F

Zomg!!! Nibiru has returned!
I just wanted to say it first... I don't believe in nibiru

Is there a diagram of it's orbit? I'm having a hard time picturing the horseshoe through their description.

There is so much we have left to learn about our home. It's insane.

well ill be damned...a post about an asteroid on ATS that isnt complete and utter fearmongering doomsday nonsense...i am impressed and shocked...interesting find, to say the least...

im gonna laugh if that is Nibiru, because of all the rage people who doesn't have any proof do. i still cant forget that note that said they found a gigantic planet, seems like the galaxy it's full or Nibirus so you just can't tell it doesn't exist.

reply to post by jessejamesxx

Here you are my friend: JPL SO16 orbit

I am going to get married, have a child, name him/her Nibiru and teach him/her astrophysics and astronomy from the time he/she is born. Sometime in my child's lifetime I hope they find a new star or planet or comet or asteroid and name it after themselves, then Nibiru will exist, and it will be harmless just like the Nibiru in everyone's head.

Wow pretty cool, I do agree its nice to see something new that isn't all doom and gloom. Although I am sure it will be eventually

Cool find!!!!

***Removed, see post below***

Originally posted by HenryPatrick
well ill be damned...a post about an asteroid on ATS that isnt complete and utter fearmongering doomsday nonsense...i am impressed and shocked...interesting find, to say the least...

Ah, but it's origin may have been in a massive catastophic collision between Earth and another celestrial body!!!!

So there was a doomsday Only it was 4,500,000,000 years ago ......

Additional preprint pdf and animated orbit at Armagh Observatory.

star.arm.ac.uk/highlights/2011/574.html

A quick review of Wiki reveals that there are several objects (3753 Cruithne, 54509 YORP, (85770) 1998 UP, 2002 AA, 2003 YN and now 2010 SO) that are known to trail Earth with this type of orbit.

I must be remembering the discovery of one of the earlier ones.

I wonder why there is no mention of the others?

reply to post by [davinci]


Earth's red headed step siblings.

Thanks for sharing! I have something interesting to bring up in astronomy lecture tonight.

I agree that it is a pretty cool find.Not Nibiru though since Nibiru,if it exists,wont be coming our way for another thousand years or so.That is if Sitchin wasn't a crackpot and nibiru is out there somewhere.

Originally posted by jjjtir
Additional preprint pdf and animated orbit at Armagh Observatory.

star.arm.ac.uk/highlights/2011/574.html

Here, let me stir the kettle some! Anyone else notice in the orbit diagram that the asteroid makes its closest approach to Earth around 2012? Bring in the 2012 doomsdayers!

It went that long without being discovered? People will definitely use this example for their Nibiru argument now...

reply to post by Charizard


They will doubtlessly attempt to form an association between this asteroid and Nibiru. Forming false associations is the most effective way to lend validity to the invalid. What will be interesting is that Nibiru has been called a planet, a star, a spaceship, an interdimensional object, etc. etc. etc. but to the best of my knowledge it has never been an asteroid. I'm curious to see how long it takes for asteroid to be the latest noun used to define Nibiru.