An Amateur Astronomer Seemingly Spotted a New Asteroid. It Turned Out to Be a Tesla in Space
The car, launched in 2018 on a SpaceX rocket’s upper stage, is one of many human-made objects in deep space that could potentially be mistaken for natural celestial bodies
Space object or sports car? How a Tesla Roadster was briefly mistaken for an asteroid
What an amateur astronomer recently took to be a newly-discovered asteroid turned out to be a Tesla Roadster voyaging through the cosmos.
Newly discovered asteroid turns out to be Tesla Roadster launched into space
Astronomers mistook a Tesla Roadster that was launched into orbit in 2018 for an asteroid earlier this month. The registry of what was thought to be an asteroid was soon deleted.
Astronomers announce discovery of new asteroid — only to learn it’s a Tesla sports car hurling through space
The Minor Planet Center in Cambridge, Mass., officially registered the new space rock Jan. 2, saying it was spotted hurling through the final frontier roughly 150,000 miles from Earth, according
Elon Musk’s Tesla Spotlights Call for Transparency in Operating Craft in Deep Space
Earlier this month, the Minor Planet Center announced the discovery of an unusual asteroid close to Earth. Turns out, it was a car.
Newly discovered near-Earth asteroid isn't an asteroid at all — it's Elon Musk's trashed Tesla
Astronomers have retracted the discovery of a new asteroid after realizing the object was the remains of Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster and its driver "Starman," which were launched into space in 2018.
Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster Still Out In Space 7 Years Later
Musk's car was accidentally and briefly classified as an asteroid in 2025. The International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center issued a bulletin on Jan. 2 announcing 2018 CN41 as a newly discovered near-Earth object.
Asteroid? Nope, It’s Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster Cruising Through Space
Less than 24 hours after the Minor Planet Center announced a new asteroid, it said the object was actually Musk's electric car launched into space as payload on a rocket.
CNET on MSN1d
Newly Discovered Asteroid Has Over 1% Chance Of Earth Impact
NASA and other space agencies are tracking 2024 YR4, a near-Earth asteroid with a small chance of impacting our planet in ...
Hosted on MSN2d
Mystery 'asteroid' in Earth's orbit that baffled experts turns out to be Elon Musk's car
The Minor Planet Center (MPC) deleted the new asteroid from its records just hours after announcing the discovery after ...
Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster Mistaken For A Minor Celestial Body
The Minor Planet Center seemingly mistook Elon Musk's Tesla Roadster for a small body in space earlier this month, much to ...
The Debrief2d
Asteroid or Artifact? How a Tesla Roadster Caused a Cosmic Misidentification
Avi Loeb shares the story of how a Tesla Roadster had some astronomers convinced for a time that they had discovered a new ...
unilad4d
Astronomers thought they’d discovered new asteroid in space but quickly realized the truth behind it
Astronomers were left less than impressed when they uncovered the truth about an asteroid they'd been keeping an eye on. On ...
An asteroid with a tiny chance of striking Earth in 2032 is triggering planetary defense planning
YR4 might force NASA to plan the first-ever space mission to push an asteroid away from Earth. Most likely, though, it's a non-threat.
Astronomers Are Keeping an Eye on This Asteroid’s Odds of Hitting Earth
Researchers say there’s a 1.3 percent chance that the space rock 2024 YR4 could strike our planet — but not until December ...