Scientists from Harvard University announced that they discovered a new asteroid coming dangerously close to Earth. However, as research progressed, it was understood that the asteroid, which was registered and even given a name, was not the celestial body they thought it was. Researchers determined that the object drifting in space was a cherry red Tesla sports car belonging to Elon Musk’s company, launched as part of an advertising campaign. The Minor Planet Center, an organization that documents meteorites, announced that the sports car that was mistaken for an asteroid was removed from its records.
However, it was later revealed that this was actually a Tesla sports car launched into space seven years ago by the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, as part of an advertising campaign.
Scientists later gave the object, which they described as a space rock, an official name: “2018 CN41.”
Being closer to the planet than the Moon, scientists concluded that the asteroid has the potential to hit Earth one day.
The Tesla Roadster model sports car was launched into space during an advertising campaign in February 2018, when Musk’s company SpaceX tested its Falcon Heavy rocket.
During this application, SpaceX placed a mannequin wearing a white spacesuit behind the steering wheel of the electric vehicle and sent it into space with the rocket.
The otherworldly error has angered astronomers, who say it’s a growing number of “untracked” space junk that’s ruining their work.
