Researchers believe the extraterrestrial object, orbiting as close as 373 miles (600km) over Earth, could be an Empty Trash Bag Object (ETBO). And although it is thought to be remnants from a rocket launch, experts are unclear exactly which one it came from. ETBOs have notoriously unpredictable orbit pattern due to their small size and light mass.
Experts think this strange satellite most likely is a piece of flimsy material, such as metallic foil from a rocket
The bewildering object, dubbed A10bMLz, was first discovered on Friday by Hawaii’s Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope.
And the ETBO was further analysed by astronomers at London’s Northolt Branch Observatory.
A10bMLz has been described as “extremely light-weight” and stretching several meters across.
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Northolt Branch Observatories said: “This suggests that it is what is known as an empty trash bag object.
“A piece of light material (probably metallic foil), left over from a rocket launch.
“It is not clear yet when A10bMLz has been launched.”
They added: “It is orbiting the Earth in an unusual, retrograde orbit, at an average distance of 262,000 km.
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“The orbit is highly elliptical, with a perigee just 600km above the Earth’s surface, and an apogee 1.4 times as far out as the Moon.”
ETBOs are a relatively common sight, but A10bMLz surprised them due to its very distant orbit, Northolt Branch Observatories said.
Astronomical software company Project Pluto compared the object’s orbit to that of a plastic bag.
A10bMLz’s unpredictable orbit is likely one of reason why astronomers cannot calculate the object’s origin.
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Project Pluto said: “At present, we have no idea as to the origin of this object.
“That’s mostly because its past trajectory is really uncertain.
“As with an empty trash bag blowing down the street, it may zig and zag in unpredictable ways.
“I don’t see any recent lunar flybys, and wouldn’t speculate on when it might hit the earth or moon or leave the earth-moon system.”
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Because the object is so lightweight, Northholt Branch Observatories said ETBO is easily influenced by the Sun’s radiation.
This radiation changes its “orbit chaotically on time scales of days to weeks”, making it impossible to predict what direction it will move to in the future.
Northolt Branch Observatories predicts the extraterrestrial object will soon incinerate in the Earth’s atmosphere.
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