Earth is about to get a temporary “mini-moon” for the next month! A small asteroid named 2024 PT5, recently detected by NASA’s Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) at the University of Hawaii, will orbit our planet until the end of November before it escapes Earth’s gravity.
This exciting discovery has sparked enthusiasm among both amateur and professional astronomers worldwide. The asteroid, labeled as a “mini-moon,” is expected to come as close as 567,000 kilometers to Earth, which is about one and a half times the distance from Earth to the Moon.
Though 2024 PT5 is much smaller than the Moon—only about 33 feet wide—this rare event offers a unique chance for scientists to study near-Earth objects. These mini-moon events typically happen once every decade or two.
Interestingly, 2024 PT5 originated from the Arjuna asteroid belt, located between Mars and Jupiter, giving scientists an exciting opportunity to observe and gather data on such space objects. This information can help us better understand asteroids that could potentially pose risks to Earth.
Even though this mini-moon won’t be visible to the naked eye, astronomers are eager to use advanced telescopes to track its short journey around our planet. As it orbits Earth, 2024 PT5 might reveal new insights about the cosmos and other near-Earth objects.
