Wikipedia: 3753 Cruithne

The universe is a mind-boggling place.

Our own solar system is pretty amazing, too.

Astronomers have spent untold hours spotting and mapping objects out there that are orbiting our sun.

One such object, which I'm willing to bet that you've never heard of, is called 3753 Cruithne.

This chunk of rock is a minor planet that orbits the sun in proximity to the earth. Some have called it earth's second moon, although that's pretty fanciful.

The Wikipedia entry has some animated gif's that will load instantly over the slowest dial-up connections that show the orbit of this intriguing asteroid.

Its orbit has been plotted so that you can see just how close to earth it gets.

Don't worry, it doesn't get very close at all.

Anyhow, 3753 Cruithne is yet another example of the wealth of knowledge that is available at Wikipedia, your own encyclopedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3753_Cruithne

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