The nights in India will turn a little more magical this weekend, as the lunar phenomenon of the ‘mini moon’ will appear in the sky as the country sleeps. This natural body, scientifically explained to be an asteroid that orbits the Earth at least once, has captured the attention of astronomers and other lovers of astronomy.
A mini-moon is expostfacto, a small asteroid or a space rock that ends up being in close proximity to the earth for several months as a satellite object before it burns out and is either pulled apart and distributed into the heliosphere or plunges into the earth’s atmosphere. While most of these objects are called ‘mini moons’, they are far smaller than the Moon, sometimes measuring only a few meters across. However, they are powerful enough to give an interesting idea of how the Earth relates to near-Earth objects.
Mini Moon Effects on Earth
What sets tonight’s mini moon event apart is that it will be seen by even more people as it will be clear at night. These are very rare occurrences, and as of now, mini-moons have been reported rarely; over the years, only a handful of mini-moons have been reported. Scientists in astrophysics suggest this one might be orbiting within the Earth’s orbit for several weeks, hence perfectly for observation.
Moreover, the mini-moon has become a good opportunity for all Indian sky watchers as well as others to see guests from space who are not frequent. Using a telescope or even a good pair of binoculars, individuals can see this ‘mini-moon as it continues to travel around the Earth. Thus, when most part of the country gets to lie down and dream sleep, space lovers and astronomers can only look at the sky and marvel at the tips of mini-moons and ponder why or how the universe is as it is.
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