1999/04/01 by F. Namouni, Fathi Namouni, Namouni, F. +5
Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Astrophysics (astro-ph) #FOS: Physical sciences #Solar and Space Plasma Dynamics #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.astro-ph/9904016
5 pages, 4 figures
arxiv created 1999/04/01 · openalex publication_date 1999/04/01 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
Following the discovery that asteroid (3753) Cruithne was a coorbital companion of the Earth, a new theory of coorbital motion has been developed whereby planets or satellites can maintain companion objects in the same orbit as themselves. This has led to the prediction of hitherto unknown types of stable motion, all of which are seen in the evolution of specific near-Earth asteroids. The slow diffusion of such objects through the Earth's coorbital region is shown to lead to temporary capture, suggesting the existence of undiscovered retrograde moons of the Earth.