Kamoʻoalewa

Kamoʻoalewa — asteroid, explore its interactive 3D model in Cosmoscope.

Explore Kamoʻoalewa in a live 3D Solar System. Follow its calculated motion and inspect real astronomical data, distances and orbital facts.

Earth’s quasi-satellite: a tiny asteroid that orbits the Sun in step with us, seeming to loop around Earth year after year. Its Moon-like colour suggests it may be lunar debris thrown off by an ancient impact.

Size

~40–100 m (estimated from brightness; drawn at 60 m)

Discovered

2016 — Pan-STARRS, Haleakalā

Orbit

Quasi-satellite — circles the Sun in step with Earth

Day

28 minutes

Origin

Possibly a fragment of the Moon

Visited

China’s Tianwen-2 arrived in mid-2026; sample return planned

Explore Kamoʻoalewa in 3D

Cosmoscope places Kamoʻoalewa in the Solar System using astronomical ephemeris or orbital elements, updated for the simulation time. Explore its calculated motion, distance and orbital facts in the interactive 3D view. Accuracy depends on the orbital model and its valid time range.