Published by: John David ViΓ±as
Date Published: September 21, 2024
Time Published: 6:46 AM
A small asteroid, named 2024 PT5, will become Earth’s temporary second 'moon' for two months when it enters orbit on September 29, 2024, and remains there until November 25.
Measuring just 10 meters, it will be invisible to the naked eye, but its brief orbit around the sun had astronomers excited about this 'mini-moon'.
NASA’s Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) discovered 2024 PT5 in August 2024. For 56.6 days, the asteroid will orbit Earth in a horseshoe-shaped path before leaving Earth's gravitational pull and returning to its heliocentric orbit.
It will stay in Earth's vicinity until early 2025, making its closest approach on January 9, 2025. Afterward, it is predicted to return in 2055.
Mini-moons, such as 2024 PT5, are near-Earth objects (NEOs) that are temporarily captured by Earth’s gravity. Paul Chodas, Director of the Centre for Near Earth Object Studies at NASA, noted that these asteroids could be fragments from the Moon or other celestial bodies. While other objects have temporarily orbited Earth, such as 2020 CD3, most fail to complete a full revolution, just like 2024 PT5.
Despite its proximity, 2024 PT5 is too small to observe with amateur telescopes and binoculars.
However, according to Carlos de la Fuente Marcos, an astronomer at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, it is possible to observe this asteroid using a telescope with a diameter of at least 30 inches plus a CCD or CMOS detector.
Scientists believe these temporary captures provide valuable insights into Earth's gravitational influence on nearby objects. Mini-moons provide a peek into the complex connection that occurs between Earth and its surrounding space environment despite their temporary appearance.
Although 2024 PT5 won’t complete a full revolution around Earth, it will provide valuable data about the gravitational interactions between Earth and nearby objects.
[1] Earth to get second 'moon' for two months. (2024, September 19). Philstar Life. https://philstarlife.com/news-and-views/820952-earth-to-get-second-moon-for-two-months#google_vignette
[2] Earth will get a second "mini-moon" for 2 months this year. (2024, September 19). CBS News - Breaking news, 24/7 live streaming news & top stories. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/earth-second-mini-moon-2024/
[3] 'Second moon' to orbit Earth for two months - study. (2024, September 19). GMA Network | News and Entertainment. (https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/scitech/science/921029/second-moon-to-orbit-earth-for-two-months-study/story/
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