A Second Mini Moon Will Orbit Earth Briefly This Autumn

This autumn, Earth will temporarily gain a second moon, as an asteroid roughly the length of a city bus becomes trapped by Earth's gravitational pull. According to a study recently published, this asteroid, known as 2024 PT5, will orbit our planet from September 29 to November 25, before it returns to the Arjuna asteroid belt, which orbits around the sun.

Professor Carlos de la Fuente Marcos from Universidad Complutense de Madrid stated that the Arjuna asteroid belt consists of space rocks with orbits similar to that of Earth. He added that asteroids like the 2024 PT5 can often approach Earth within 2.8 million miles (4.5 million kilometers). When their speed is relatively low—around 2,200 mph (3,540 km/h)—Earth's gravity can temporarily capture them, creating a "mini moon" status for a short duration.

Discovered on August 7 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (Atlas), 2024 PT5 is approximately 10 meters long, making it significantly smaller than Earth's regular moon, which has a diameter of 3,474 km. Due to its small size and dimness, it will not be visible with typical amateur telescopes or binoculars. However, professional astronomers’ equipment will likely detect it.

Interestingly, Paul Chodas from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory suggests that PT5 might be composed of fragments from an ancient lunar impact. While some researchers, such as Lance Benner, argue that its horseshoe-shaped trajectory means it may not complete a full revolution and thus not be a true "mini moon," the object will still spend about two months within Earth's gravitational influence.

History shows that mini moon events are not unprecedented. Earth experienced similar events in 1981 and 2022. Dr. Marcos has noted that such events can result in multiple revolutions or shorter engagements where a full orbit is not achieved. It's anticipated that 2024 PT5 will revisit Earth's orbit in 2055, marking another chapter in the fascinating relationship between our planet and these temporary celestial visitors.

Earlier, SSP wrote that an early medieval metal workshop was uncovered in Scotland.