Scientists Identify New Potential Near-Earth Asteroid Pairs

A research team from the Chinese Academy of Sciences has identified three new candidate near-Earth asteroid pairs using orbital similarity criteria and numerical simulations. Published in The Astrophysical Journal, this discovery suggests these pairs may share a common origin, with one pair (2012 QG8 and 2024 GE1) having experienced a close encounter approximately 1,000 years ago, possibly forming from the rotational breakup of a parent body.