Astronomers record anomalous acceleration of near-Earth space object

The scientific community is actively discussing the origins of the mysterious space object 1998 KY26, which is gradually approaching our planet. During orbital data analysis, specialists found that the body is moving under an unknown additional impulse that cannot be explained solely by the classical gravitational pull of the Sun and neighboring planets.

The diameter of this body is approximately 10 meters, and it completes a full rotation around its axis in just 5.35 minutes. According to astronomers' calculations, in 2028 the object will pass about 51 million kilometers away from Earth, and by 2039 this figure will drop to 16 million kilometers. Previously, it was hypothesized that internal ice sublimation caused the anomaly, but recent findings disproved this theory due to excessively high surface temperatures.

Harvard University Professor Avi Loeb and his colleagues put forward an unconventional hypothesis. According to them, 1998 KY26 might turn out to be the Soviet interplanetary station Phobos-1, contact with which was lost in the late 1980s. The additional acceleration could be driven by solar radiation pressure acting on metal structural elements and solar panels.

Researchers will be able to finally confirm or refute this version in 2031, when the Japanese Hayabusa-2 probe approaches the mysterious body for a close inspection.

Investigating such celestial anomalies enhances our understanding of near-Earth environments and highlights the growing challenge of tracking space debris. Direct measurements by upcoming planetary missions remain the most reliable way to uncover the true nature of ambiguous objects.