"Much uncertainty surrounds the mysterious object, designated J002E3. It could be a passing chunk of rock captured by the Earth's gravity, or it could be a discarded rocket casing coming back to our region of space."
Could it conceivably be something else -- perhaps an extraterrestrial probe making a close approach? Maybe we should try signaling J002E3; an "echo" or return broadcast would confirm that we're dealing with something unprecedented.
Update!
It's come to my attention that this science story dates from way back in 2002. Sorry about that; I try to keep the weirdness fresh around here. Still, I found this interesting. I think it's a little foolish to automatically consign orbital anomalies to space debris; it's just possible we might miss something far more intriguing.
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