So Earth has a potential space elevator anchor already in its neighborhood...

https://groups.google.com/d/msg/sci....I/Fm1CmRVXEwAJ

I wonder if it might reveal something on the Earth-Theia hypothesis?

David A. Smith

In article ,
dlzc writes:
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/sci....I/Fm1CmRVXEwAJ

You are suggesting 2016 HO3 could be moved into a suitable orbit with
little energy? That's probably correct. Is a size of 40-100 meters
big enough?

I wonder if it might reveal something on the Earth-Theia hypothesis?

I'm no expert, but I wouldn't think so. Time scales for changing
orbits near Earth are typically millions, not billions, of years.

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Dear Steve Willner:

On Friday, June 17, 2016 at 2:18:46 PM UTC-7, Steve Willner wrote:
In article ,
dlzc writes:
https://groups.google.com/d/msg/sci....I/Fm1CmRVXEwAJ

You are suggesting 2016 HO3 could be moved into
a suitable orbit with little energy? That's
probably correct. Is a size of 40-100 meters
big enough?

We don't really have the material for the elevator "cables" yet. Just seems a lot easier / safer not to try and drop in something from a greater distance away.

I wonder if it might reveal something on the
Earth-Theia hypothesis?

I'm no expert, but I wouldn't think so. Time
scales for changing orbits near Earth are typically
millions, not billions, of years.

The Moon has been receding for 2.2 billion years. So the affected mass might have some say in how fast it recedes. If 2016 HO3 was "nearly" in a Lagrange point, with small mass, a near miss by another NEO might have recently boosted it. But like as not, there is no guarantee it was present (or produced) way back then.

It was a thought.

Thanks.

David A. Smith