The Earth has one Moon, but it’s not the only rocky thing
orbiting us…..Posted: December 21, 2011 I spend far too much
time at pub quizzes. Perhaps it’s because I’m an irritating
know-it-all or I just like a vaguely intellectual pretense for
going to the pub. One of the more geeky parts of it is
correcting the quiz-master when they are wrong (Reykjavik is
north of Helsinki and Blazin Squad did not do the original of
Crossroads etc.). One such wrong answer was a week or two back
when it was claimed the Earth has four moons. Additional moons
of the Earth have long been claimed and were popularised a few
years back when QI claimed that a co-orbital body called
Cruithne was a second moon. As far as the definition of stable,
natural bodies orbiting the Earth goes there is only one,
although it would be entertaining if schoolchildren were taught
about the wonderfully named Wahrhafter Wetter-und Magnet Mond
(or veritable weather and magnetic moon). However there are
sometimes other bodies that briefly orbit the Eart