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 realizing the object was actually a cherry-red Tesla Roadster
Astronomers Thought They Had Found A Dangerous Asteroid Near Earth — It Was Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster
The “asteroid” wasn’t a space rock after all. It was a cherry-red Tesla Roadster that Elon Musk launched into space to much fanfare in 2018 as part of a publicity stunt during the maiden flight of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket. The car, complete with a mannequin named “Starman” in the driver’s seat, had been orbiting the Sun ever since.
Astronomers just deleted an asteroid because it turned out to be Elon Musk’s Tesla Roadster
The case of mistaken identity was quickly resolved, but astronomers say it shows the need for transparency around craft in deep space.
Astronomers are furious with Elon Musk: «space» Tesla Roadster misidentified as asteroid 2018 CN41
On January 2, the Minor Planet Center announced the discovery of the unique asteroid 2018 CN41, but soon had to remove the object from the official li
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.
Mysterious New Asteroid Turns Out To Be Tesla Roadster in Space
The newly discovered asteroid, named 2018 CN41, turned out to be a Tesla launched into space by SpaceX in 2018.
Strange new asteroid turns out to be Tesla Roadster
A strange object recently spotted orbiting Earth has been identified as a Tesla Roadster. Initially classified as asteroid "2018 CN41" by the Minor Planet Center (MPC) on January 2, 2025, the object was discovered by an amateur astronomer based in Turkey.
Astronomers Mistake Elon Musk’s Space Tesla for an Asteroid
Instead of using traditional test cargo like concrete or steel blocks, Elon Musk chose his personal Tesla Roadster to make the mission more memorable. The car has been drifting th
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A rookie astronomer thought Musk’s space-going “Starman” was a new asteroid
On January 2, some astronomers at the Minor Planet Center at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics thought a rookie ...
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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 ...
Mystery 'asteroid' in Earth's orbit is something completely different – and it's Musk's fault
Major astronomy body the Minor Planet Centre (MPC) was forced to list the discovery - made by a citizen scientist - as ...
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 ...
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 ...
‘New asteroid’ turns out to be Tesla car shot to space in 2018
The rocket launched into orbit on February 6, 2018, as part of a publicity stunt while the Falcon Heavy was being tested.