Earth welcomes temporary Moon: 2024 PT5 to appear from September 29 to November 25
Earth welcomes temporary Moon: 2024 PT5 to appear from September 29 to November 25
Earth is expected to have a temporary ‘mini-moon’ this autumn, which is a small asteroid called 2024 PT5. This asteroid, measuring about 33 feet (10 meters) in width, will orbit our planet for approximately two months, from September 29 to November 25, before it moves away from Earth’s gravitational influence.
The research published in the research notes of the American Astronomical Society highlights this unusual event as a demonstration of the active nature of our solar system. Although it will be classified as a moon, 2024 PT5 will not be visible to the naked eye due to its dull rock composition. Even with binoculars or home telescopes, it will be challenging to see. However, professional telescopes will be able to capture images of the asteroid during its passage.
Astronomer Jennifer Millard, who hosts the Awesome Astronomy podcast, mentioned on the BBC’s Today program that professional telescopes will be able to detect it, and there will be many impressive images online showing this small dot moving quickly across the stars. The asteroid was first identified by NASA’s Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (Atlas) on August 7 and originates from the Arjuna asteroid belt, which consists of various space rocks orbiting the Sun near Earth.
Earth has experienced visits from mini-moons in the past; for example, 2022 NX 1 briefly orbited Earth in 1981 and again in 2022. 2024 PT5 is anticipated to return in 2055, indicating that these temporary companions of Earth often come back after many years.
2024 PT5, the temporary mini-moon, will indeed be caught by Earth’s gravity but will not complete a full revolution around our planet. As explained by astronomer Jennifer Millard, its orbit will be slightly altered by Earth’s gravitational influence, and then it will continue on its path away from us. The asteroid is expected to leave Earth’s orbit on November 25, after spending around two months in our vicinity.
When asteroids like 2024 PT5 approach Earth at relatively slow speeds, they can be temporarily trapped by our planet’s gravitational field. This event emphasizes the dynamic nature of our solar system and highlights the vast number of objects that remain undiscovered. Millard pointed out that there are potentially tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of such objects in space. Discoveries like mini-moons underscore the importance of continuously monitoring the night sky to identify these transient cosmic companions.
