The earth is set to receive a temporary “mini-moon” this fall in the form of a small asteroid called 2024 PT5. The asteroid, about 33 feet (10 meters) wide, will orbit our planet for about two months, from September 29 to November 25, before escaping Earth’s gravitational pull.
The findings, published in the Research Notes of American Astronomical Societyshow that this rare phenomenon highlights the dynamic activity of our solar system.
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Despite its status as a moon, 2024 PT5 will not be visible to the naked eye because it is composed of opaque rock. Even with binoculars or home telescopes it will remain difficult to observe.
However, professional telescopes will be able to capture images of this asteroid as it passes by.
an astronomer Jennifer Millardhost of the Awesome Astronomy podcast, said on the BBC program today, “Professional telescopes will be able to pick it up. So you’ll be able to look around for lots of wonderful pictures online of this tiny dot moving past the stars at high speed.”
The asteroid that was first spotted by NASAThe Last Warning System for an asteroid impact (Atlas) on August 7 comes from the Arjuna Asteroid Beltwhich is a collection of various space rocks orbiting the Sun near Earth.
Mini-moons have visited Earth before. 2022 NX 1 circled Earth briefly in 1981 and again in 2022. 2024 PT5 is expected to return in 2055, suggesting that Earth’s temporary satellites often revisit Earth after many years.
Temporary orbit and liftoff
According to scientists, 2024 PT5 will be captured by Earth’s gravity, but will not complete a complete revolution around the planet. As astronomer Jennifer Millard explained, “Its orbit will just be changed, it will just be skewed slightly by our planet, and then it will go on its merry way.” The asteroid is scheduled to leave Earth’s orbit on November 25.
When asteroids like 2024 PT5 travel near Earth at relatively low speeds, the planet’s gravitational field can trap them temporarily. This should happen with 2024 PT5, which will orbit the Earth in about two months.
Millard also noted the importance of such discoveries, saying, “This story highlights how busy our solar system is and how much is out there that we haven’t discovered… There are tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of objects out there that haven’t we have discovered. Mini-moons like 2024 PT5, often overlooked, demonstrate the importance of continuous observation of the night sky to detect these fleeting satellites.
