Astronomers at the University of Arizona have found out the nature of the unknown object, which was discovered in September 2020 in orbit around the Earth. Although a number of researchers assumed that it is an asteroid, experts have come to the conclusion that it is of artificial origin. The solution to the 2020 SO puzzle is reported in press release at Phys.org.
Observations of the object were carried out using an infrared telescope in Hawaii to observe not only the mysterious object, but also the Atlas Centaur rocket, which was launched on September 20, 1966 as part of the failed Surveyor 2 mission and still in orbit close to Earth. It turned out that the orbits of the two objects coincide, indicating that the “asteroid” is in fact the upper stage of the rocket.
Last month, the object, formally known as 2020 SO, entered a wide, curved orbit around the Earth and approached just over 50,476 kilometers on Tuesday. It will leave the vicinity of the planet in March, returning to its orbit around the Sun. His next return to Earth will take place in 2036.