The “asteroid” wasn’t a space rock after all. It was a cherry-red Tesla Roadster that Elon Musk launched into space to much fanfare in 2018 as part of a publicity stunt during the maiden flight of SpaceX’s Falcon Heavy rocket. The car, complete with a mannequin named “Starman” in the driver’s seat, had been orbiting the Sun ever since.

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.

Musk launched his personal Tesla Roadster into space on February 6, 2018, as a test payload for the Falcon Heavy rocket.

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