A group of Hungarian astronomers demonstrated that our planet has three moons.
In a thrilling breakthrough, Hungarian researchers have proven the presence of not one, but three moons orbiting Earth. Unlike our much-loved Moon, these enigmatic moons are composed purely of dust and orbit Earth at a distance of about 400,000 kilometres – almost equal to the distance between us and our parent Moon.
The Mystery of Kordylewski's Dust Moons
The statement that there are these additional moons has been in controversy since 1961, when two unknown clouds were discovered by a Polish astronomer named Kazimierz Kordylewski. They began being referred to as the "Kordylewski dust clouds." The Polish scientist also wondered if these clouds could be orbiting around the Earth at the L4 and L5 Lagrange points. Only recently was it proven that such dust clouds are actually imitations of satellites orbiting the Earth.
The Tidy Little Secret of Dust Clouds
"Two of the most slippery objects in space, and though they're as close to Earth as the Moon, astronomy researchers have hardly noticed them," explained Judit Slíz-Balogh, an astronomer at Hungary's Eötvös Loránd University and author of the research. This finding is interesting because it proves the existence of dusty pseudosatellites that orbit our lunar neighbor.
The Elusive Nature of Dust Clouds
One of the primary reasons why these dust moons remained undiscovered for so long is their ungodly faintness. Nonetheless, due to Sun reflection, these dust clouds sometimes become visible. Throughout the research, polarizing filters were used by the researchers on their cameras to capture the scattering light from individual particles found in the dust clouds.
Notwithstanding this shocking discovery, there are some space scientists who propose that these unusual clouds of dust are short-lived. They hold the position that the massive clouds of dust that have been seen by astronomers might be removed instantly by gravitational forces from other planets or by the effects of solar winds.
A glimpse at the history of astronomy
This finding is not the first that space science has changed our knowledge of the solar system. In recent times, astronomers suggested the presence of a rogue planet, perhaps Planet Nine, lurking beyond Neptune in our solar system. In addition, the region where Planet Nine could be located has been found to be very dark, and this may be the reason why ground-based observatories cannot find this elusive celestial body.
Conclusion
The finding of these three dust moons orbiting Earth is a reminder that the universe still has many secrets to be uncovered. With technology and research improving, we can anticipate more secrets of the universe being unveiled, changing our perception of the space surrounding us.
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