Tesla Roadster Mistaken for Asteroid
2025-01-25
An object initially identified as a newly discovered asteroid, 2018 CN41, was quickly revealed to be Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster launched into space in 2018 during a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket test. This humorous incident highlights the growing challenge of tracking space debris. An amateur astronomer initially mistook it for a near-Earth object, and the Minor Planet Center initially listed it as a new asteroid. While the issue was swiftly resolved, it underscores the increasing number of untracked space objects that could hinder efforts to protect Earth from potentially hazardous asteroids.