Earth to host rare “Mini-Moon” 2024 PT5 for two months
Asteroid 2024 PT5 to Become Temporary Mini-Moon, Offering Rare Research Opportunity from September to November 2024
Earth will experience a rare celestial event as asteroid 2024 PT5, measuring about 33 feet across, temporarily becomes a mini-moon. According to a new report from the journal Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, this asteroid will orbit Earth from September 29 to November 25, 2024.
Opportunity to study a Mini-Moon
Discovered on August 7, 2024, 2024 PT5 will be captured by Earth’s gravity for nearly two months. Although it will not complete a full orbit around Earth, it will remain close to our planet during this time. By November 25, the asteroid will escape Earth’s gravity and return to its normal orbit around the sun.
Scientists believe that 2024 PT5 is a natural asteroid rather than space debris, and there is some speculation it could be a fragment from Earth’s Moon. This brief visit is generating interest among researchers who see potential value in studying such mini-moons. These objects may contain valuable metals that could be useful for future space mining.
The asteroid will not be visible to the naked eye due to its faint brightness, but advanced telescopes will track its movements. Studying 2024 PT5 near Earth will help scientists learn more about this type of space rock and improve our methods of detecting asteroids that could collide with Earth.
This event is a reminder of how Earth’s gravity can temporarily attract and hold small bodies. Although asteroid 2024 PT5 will only be here for a short time, its presence provides valuable opportunities for scientific research and helps us understand space and Earth’s role in the universe.
Understanding Mini-Moon
Asteroids like 2024 PT5 follow what are known as “horseshoe orbits” around Earth and the Sun. They usually approach Earth slowly, which allows them to be temporarily captured. However, most mini-moons do not complete a full orbit before returning to their regular path around the Sun.
Historical background
Similar temporary captures have occurred before. For example, one asteroid orbited Earth for nearly a year in 2006, and another orbited Earth for several years before disappearing in 2020. Earth frequently captures small asteroids from the Near-Earth Object (NEO) group.
You might also be interested in – Five gigantic tower-sized asteroids heading towards Earth at terrifying speed: NASA
