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Ole Braatelien


NextImg:Astronomers Move Fast After Finding Nearby Asteroid, Then Realize It's a Red Sports Car

A strange “asteroid” orbiting the Earth even closer than the moon sent scientists at the Minor Planet Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, scrambling.

The institution, which is based at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, announced the unusual find on Jan. 2, after a citizen scientist discovered the anomalous object.

They named it “2018 CN41,” according to Astronomy.com.

Closer than 150,000 miles to our planet, the “rock” was deemed a near-Earth object needing careful watch, considering its potential to one day enter the atmosphere.

But less than a day later, the scientists would be palming their faces as they published an editorial update clarifying what all the fuss was apparently about.

“The designation 2018 CN41 is being deleted and will be listed as omitted.,” the Minor Planet Center wrote.

It turned out, the “asteroid” was really no asteroid at all, but a cherry-red convertible.

Specifically, Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster, which he launched into orbit on Feb. 6, 2018.

SpaceX launched the vehicle as a payload aboard the Falcon Heavy, an unprecedented 27-engine rocket designed for deep space travel, according to NBC News.

The driver of the sports car? A mannequin astronaut named “Starman,” and with a top speed of 7 miles per second, he gets around.

Starman is currently in an elliptical orbit around the sun and is headed for Mars, according to Forbes.

But he’s got a long way to go.

Related:
Elon to the Rescue Again: On His Way to Save Astronauts Biden Left Stranded 7 Months After 1-Week Mission Ended

“If all goes well, the Roadster will be in deep space for a billion years or so, if it doesn’t blow up on ascent,” Musk said prior to the 2018 launch, according to Forbes.

Musk’s roadster can be tracked live at whereisroadster.com.

“Just bear in mind that there is a good chance this monster rocket blows up, so I wouldn’t put anything of irreplaceable sentimental value on it,” Musk told SyFy in 2017, prior to the rocket’s launch.

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