SIMFEROPOL, March 31 Astronomer from Crimea, discoverer of the first interstellar comet Gennady Borisov, reported that he had discovered a new asteroid that flew near the Earth at about 19:00 Moscow time on Sunday at a distance of about 28-30 thousand kilometers, that is, at the distance of the orbit of geostationary satellites.
“This morning I discovered this new object, sent my observations to the Minor Planet Center, my observations were posted on the page confirming near-Earth asteroids. Several other observatories observed it for several hours. It became clear that the asteroid is small – about two -three meters, but flies quite close, even inside the geostationary satellite region. This is about 28-30 thousand kilometers from the Earth. The flight took place at 19:00 Moscow time,” Borisov said.
At the moment, it is difficult to accurately determine the group of asteroids to which the discovered celestial body belongs. Near-term observations will help determine the trajectory and orbital parameters of the asteroid. Borisov noted that the Earth's gravity will definitely change the orbit of the asteroid. The observation results and calculations will be published on the official website of the Minor Planet Center of the International Astronomical Union.
Gennady Borisov discovered the first interstellar comet in 2019. The comet's orbital parameters show that it arrived in the Solar System and is of interstellar origin. The comet was named after its discoverer 2I/Borisov. The astronomer also discovered several comets and asteroids.
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