Astronomers mistook a Tesla Roadster that was launched into orbit in 2018 for an asteroid earlier this month. The registry of what was thought to be an asteroid was soon deleted.

A supposed asteroid turned out to be a Tesla model flying through space as a PR stunt. Such mix-ups are increasingly becoming a problem.

The case of mistaken identity was quickly resolved, but astronomers say it shows the need for transparency around craft in deep space.

The Minor Planet Center in Cambridge, Mass., officially registered the new space rock Jan. 2, saying it was spotted hurling through the final frontier roughly 150,000 miles from Earth, according

It was in 2018, when Tesla and SpaceX boss Elon Musk took the audacious step of 'strapping' a car before launching it into space. In February 2018, Elon Musk's SpaceX launched a Tesla Roadster to Falcon Heavy Test flight.

The Minor Planet Center announced the discovery of the presumed asteroid on January 2 - even giving it an official name of 2018 CN41 - before issuing an editorial change hours later saying the asteroi

How on Earth was a Tesla Roadster electric sports car confused with an asteroid and what was it doing orbiting the sun in the first place?