This Asteroid, Responsible For A 22-kilometre Crater On Moon, Was Once Its Part

Scientists have reportedly discovered the reason behind the formation of a crater on the moon. A study suggests that there is an asteroid that orbits the sun that was once part of the moon. This has been a puzzle for scientists for many years as they believed that this piece of rock is a small asteroid that must have entered the solar system from outside. However, the new study revealed that the crater was formed due to the rock.

In 2016, scientists discovered a mysterious piece of rock that is orbiting the sun. The rock has a diameter between 130 to 328 feet and was named Kamoʻoalewa. A research team from Tsinghua University led by astronomer Yifei Jiao indicated that the rock was part of the moon millions of years ago and is responsible for the formation of a crater named Giordano Bruno crater. The crater, a 22-kilometre lunar impact crater, was named after the Italian cosmologist of the 16th century.

Kamo’oalewa, a near-Earth object (NEO) ranging from 131 to 328 feet in width (40 to 100 meters), was set free due to an asteroid collision estimated to have occurred between 1 million and 10 million years ago. This impact event also formed the Giordano Bruno crater, as per the research findings.

According to the study published in the journal Nature Astronomy, the researchers stated that they discovered the process of impact-induced lunar fragments migrating into Earth’s co-orbital space. The research paper also revealed that Kamo’olewa was formed by this process, millions of years ago.

“This would directly link a specific asteroid in space to its source crater on the Moon and suggests the existence of more such small asteroids composed of lunar material yet to be discovered near Earth,” the researchers wrote in the paper, according to a report by Wion.

The paper further mentioned that this piece of rock was a part of the moon at some time. According to spectrum analysis, the texture of the rock perfectly matches the texture of the moon. Using a computer model the scientists confirmed that Kamo’olewa must have broken from the moon due to a collision, creating a 12-mile crater. The Giordano Bruno crater perfectly fits with the calculations of the rock which is believed to have formed thousands of years ago.