2024 PT5: All about the asteroid that will become Earth's mini moon for two months

This year, Earth's moon will have company for almost two months: a second moon. According to a study published in the journal Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, 2024 PT5, an asteroid from the Arjuna asteroid belt, will technically be caught in the Earth's gravitational pull rather than a second moon.

This is the number of mini-moons that form. When an object in space experiences Earth's gravitational pull, it can turn into an orbiter by fully rotating around the planet, or it can be called a flyby if it only partially rotates around the planet, as 2024 PT5 is currently doing. The horseshoe-shaped trajectory of 2024 PT5, which was discovered on August 7, indicates that it will complete a semi-orbit of Earth before resuming its regular orbit around the sun. The mini-moon, according to researchers, will occur between September 29 and November 25.

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Paul Chodas, head of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory's Center for Near Earth Object Studies, told the New York Times that there's a chance the asteroid came from Earth's moon because of its motion. Although it may not be visible to the average person every day, the Earth's moon has had companions in the past.

The study stated that the Earth can routinely grab asteroids from the Near-Earth object (NEO) population and drag them into orbit, transforming them into miniature moons. According to researchers, a flyby known as 2022 NX1 occurred in both 1981 and 2022 and was another brief mini-moon.

Unfortunately, because 2024 PT5 is so small, it will be hard to see it in the night sky. According to Carlos de la Fuente Marcos, the lead author of the AAS study, the object is too small and dim for typical amateur telescopes and binoculars, as reported. Yet the object is well within the brightness range of typical professional astronomers's telescopes.

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FAQs

What is the mini-moon 2024 PT5?
2024 PT5 is a small asteroid that is temporarily caught in Earth's gravitational pull and enters a partial orbit before returning to its path around the sun. It is referred to as a mini moon but is too small to be seen with the naked eye.

When will PT5 arrive near Earth in 2024?
The mini moon will pass near Earth from September 29 to November 25, 2024, following a horseshoe-shaped path before leaving Earth's orbit.