Kamo’oalewa, an asteroid orbiting Earth, is believed to be a piece of the Moon that was ejected during an asteroid impact. Researchers suggest that Kamo’oalewa’s orbit, size, spin, and age match the Moon’s, and its surface reflects light similar to weathered lunar rocks. This discovery adds intrigue to the Tianwen-2 mission, which aims to return samples from Kamo’oalewa in 2025.
A speedy asteroid orbiting in time with Earth is likely to be a wayward chunk of the Moon. Scientists speculate they know exactly from which lunar crater it came from. A new study published in the journal Nature Astronomy reveals that when a mile-wide (1.6 kilometers) space rock hit the Moon, the near-Earth asteroid 469219 Kamo’oalewa may have been flung into space, creating the Giordano Bruno crater. Kamo’oalewa’s size, age, and spin all match up with the 13.6-mile-wide (22 km) crater. Additionally, its light reflectance matches that of weathered lunar rock, and its crater sits on the far side of the Moon.
