A mysterious object that was initially thought to be an asteroid has been identified as an old rocket, according to a NASA expert.

The object, which was discovered by amateur astronomers in May, was initially classified as an Apollo asteroid, which are near-Earth objects that cross the Earth's orbit. However, further observations revealed that the object was actually a spent rocket booster from a 1966 mission.

The rocket booster was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on November 15, 1966, as part of the Atlas Centaur 6 mission. The mission was designed to test the Atlas Centaur rocket, which was later used to launch the Surveyor spacecraft to the Moon.

The rocket booster was abandoned in orbit after it completed its mission. It has since been drifting through space, and was eventually discovered by amateur astronomers using the Catalina Sky Survey, which is a project that uses telescopes to search for near-Earth objects.

The identification of the object as a spent rocket booster is a reminder of the long history of space exploration. The Atlas Centaur 6 mission was one of the first missions to use the Atlas Centaur rocket, which has since become a workhorse of the American space program.

The discovery of the rocket booster is also a reminder of the importance of tracking near-Earth objects. These objects can pose a threat to Earth if they were to impact the planet, so it is important to be able to track them and predict their movements.

The discovery of the rocket booster also highlights the importance of amateur astronomers in space exploration. Amateur astronomers have made significant contributions to the field, including the discovery of new planets, asteroids, and comets.