Earlier this month, an amateur astronomer stumbled upon what appeared to be a newly discovered near-Earth object (NEO). The “asteroid,” designated 2018 CN41, came alarmingly close to Earth — closer than the Moon’s orbit.

Major astronomy body the Minor Planet Centre (MPC) was forced to list the discovery - made by a citizen scientist - as "omitted" following a case of mistaken identity

The case of mistaken identity was quickly resolved, but astronomers say it shows the need for transparency around craft in deep space.

The rocket launched into orbit on February 6, 2018, as part of a publicity stunt while the Falcon Heavy was being tested. Musk’s old car was fitted with a mannequin wearing a white spacesuit sitting in the driver’s seat named Starman.

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.

A near-Earth "asteroid" recently spotted by astronomers poring through telescope data has turned out to be Elon Musk's car. On January 2, the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center announced the discovery of a new asteroid.

Without central repository for artificial objects, it'll only get worse Scientists mistook Elon Musk's Tesla roadster for an asteroid in a debacle that highlights the problem of tracking near-Earth objects.

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

Some time ago, astronomers from Harvard University announced the discovery of a new celestial object named 2018 CN41. However, they later had to retract the statement, explaining it was actually one of Elon Musk's cars.