Astronomers have recently detected space debris that is moving erratically, almost randomly much like the nickname it was given, an 'empty trash bag' drifting in space. The object is called A10bMLz.
A10bMLz is far from run-of-the-mill space junk. Astronomer Daniel Bamberger from London’s Northolt Branch Observatories says he and his team initially had no clue whether the object was natural or artificial. As they tracked its movements, they realized it was defying predictions and moving around almost randomly.
But space is a vacuum—there’s no wind or air pressure to account for this sort of volatility. There are only a handful of forces that could simply bully an object out of a normal orbit. What exactly is A10bMLz, and what kind of forces could possibly shove it around as it blew through interstellar main street?
(Image credit: NASA)