Earth to Host a 'Mini Moon' Temporarily for Two Months
A temporary 'mini moon' will be orbiting Earth for a duration of two months.
TroibNews 
Earth's moon will soon have a companion in the form of a "mini moon." This mini moon is actually an asteroid, measuring 33 feet—approximately the size of a school bus. As it approaches Earth on Sunday, it will become temporarily ensnared by our planet's gravitational pull and will orbit the Earth for about two months.
The asteroid, designated 2024 PT5, was first identified in August by astronomers at Complutense University of Madrid, who used a powerful telescope located in Sutherland, South Africa for the observation.
Richard Binzel, an astronomer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, noted that these fleeting mini moons are likely more prevalent than we currently understand. The last mini moon was observed back in 2020. "This happens with some frequency, but we rarely see them because they're very small and very hard to detect," he explained. "Only recently has our survey capability reached the point of spotting them routinely."
The findings by Carlos de la Fuente Marcos and Raul de la Fuente Marcos were published by the American Astronomical Society. Although this mini moon won't be observable with the naked eye or ordinary telescopes, "it can be observed with relatively large, research-grade telescopes," according to Carlos de la Fuente Marcos in an email.
Binzel, who was not part of the research team, mentioned that the origins of the space rock remain uncertain. It’s unclear whether it is an asteroid or "a chunk of the moon that got blasted out."
The mini moon is set to orbit Earth for nearly 57 days but will not complete a full revolution. It is scheduled to leave Earth’s vicinity on November 25 and will continue its journey through space. This asteroid is anticipated to make another pass by Earth in 2055.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
The asteroid, designated 2024 PT5, was first identified in August by astronomers at Complutense University of Madrid, who used a powerful telescope located in Sutherland, South Africa for the observation.
Richard Binzel, an astronomer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, noted that these fleeting mini moons are likely more prevalent than we currently understand. The last mini moon was observed back in 2020. "This happens with some frequency, but we rarely see them because they're very small and very hard to detect," he explained. "Only recently has our survey capability reached the point of spotting them routinely."
The findings by Carlos de la Fuente Marcos and Raul de la Fuente Marcos were published by the American Astronomical Society. Although this mini moon won't be observable with the naked eye or ordinary telescopes, "it can be observed with relatively large, research-grade telescopes," according to Carlos de la Fuente Marcos in an email.
Binzel, who was not part of the research team, mentioned that the origins of the space rock remain uncertain. It’s unclear whether it is an asteroid or "a chunk of the moon that got blasted out."
The mini moon is set to orbit Earth for nearly 57 days but will not complete a full revolution. It is scheduled to leave Earth’s vicinity on November 25 and will continue its journey through space. This asteroid is anticipated to make another pass by Earth in 2055.
Max Fischer contributed to this report for TROIB News
