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Could this asteroid be a piece of the moon? A Chinese spacecraft is about to find out

Astrobitica July 3, 2026 (Last updated: July 3, 2026) 1 minute read

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Several small asteroids travel around the sun in near lockstep with Earth and take a year to complete a full orbit. Today, there are known to be eight such “quasi-moons” or quasi-satellites.

The moon is not the only natural object traveling through space alongside Earth. Several small asteroids travel around the sun in near lockstep with our planet. And just like Earth, these space rocks also take a year to complete a full orbit. Today, we know of eight such “quasi-moons” or quasi-satellites.