Earth to Get Temporary Mini-Moon This Fall: Asteroid 2024 PT5 Set to Orbit for Two Months
Earth is about to welcome a temporary celestial companion this autumn: a mini-moon named 2024 PT5.
This small asteroid, measuring around 32 feet in length, is set to enter Earth's orbit starting September 29th and will stick around for roughly two months before drifting away again. Unfortunately, its size and dull appearance mean that it will be too faint to spot without professional-grade telescopes.
2024 PT5 was first identified by NASA’s Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) back on August 7th. This asteroid hails from the Arjuna asteroid belt, a collection of rocks that orbit the sun in paths similar to that of Earth.
Typically, asteroids from this belt come within a few million miles of our planet, but this one will experience a gravitational embrace, allowing it to temporarily become a mini-moon.
According to Daniel Brown, an astronomy professor at Nottingham Trent University, a mini-moon can be an asteroid or a comet, made of rock or a mixture of rock, dust, and ice. Mini-moons typically orbit for a short period and are not meant to become permanent fixtures in our skies.
Earth has had mini-moons before; for instance, the asteroid 2020 CD3 orbited our planet for more than a year. Mini-moons are relatively common, although spotting them is a challenge due to their small size and faintness.
Dr. Jennifer Millard, an astronomer and host of the Awesome Astronomy podcast, explained that the asteroid will not complete a full orbit around Earth.
“It’s just going to kind of have its orbit altered, just twisted slightly by our own planet,” she said.
It’s estimated that 2024 PT5 will leave Earth's gravitational influence on November 25th. However, the good news for fans of celestial events is that 2024 PT5 is expected to return to Earth's orbit in 2055.
While this mini-moon will be invisible to the naked eye, amateur astronomers can look forward to online images captured by those with professional telescopes.
Dr. Millard anticipates that, despite its small size, there will be "lots of wonderful pictures online of this little dot kind of moving past the stars at great speed."
As scientists continue to study these asteroids, the event underscores the busy nature of our solar system.
Dr. Millard highlighted the importance of ongoing monitoring of the night sky, stating, “There are tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of objects out there that we haven't discovered."
So while 2024 PT5 may not be visible to most, its upcoming visit is a reminder of the fascinating dynamics at play in our universe. Keep an eye on the sky, and who knows what else might be on the horizon!
