In a captivating celestial event, an asteroid dubbed 2024 PT5 is poised to experience a unique fate. Instead of blazing through Earth’s atmosphere like its counterparts, this asteroid is predicted to be ensnared by Earth’s gravitational pull, becoming a temporary mini-moon. However, this celestial dance is fleeting, lasting only for a brief two-month period.
Discovered on August 7 by astronomers Carlos de la Fuente Marcos and Raúl de la Fuente Marcos from the Complutense University of Madrid using NASA’s Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), 2024 PT5 is estimated to be approximately 10 meters (33 feet) in diameter. According to a report in the Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, the asteroid will become Earth’s temporary companion between September 29 and November 25.
During this period, 2024 PT5 will gracefully loop around Earth but will not complete a full orbit. It will then break free from Earth’s gravitational hold, returning to its journey around the Sun. For a total of 56.6 days, Earth will have two moons, offering a captivating spectacle and a valuable scientific opportunity.
“It is pretty cool,” commented Federica Spoto, an asteroid dynamics researcher at the Center for Astrophysics, Harvard & Smithsonian. “2024 PT5 will help scientists better understand asteroids that come close to Earth—some of which occasionally collide with it.”
The researchers emphasized that 2024 PT5 is unlikely to be artificial debris; it’s not a piece of space junk. They suggest it could be classified as a near-Earth object with an orbit similar to our planet. Unfortunately, due to its faintness (with an absolute magnitude of 27.6), it will be too dim to be observed with the naked eye or even most amateur telescopes.
Paul Chodas, the director of the Center for Near Earth Object Studies at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, theorizes that 2024 PT5 could be a fragment of the Moon itself, possibly ejected by a past lunar impact. The researchers predict that 2024 PT5 will make multiple mini-moon visits. It is expected to return to Earth’s orbit in January 2025 before leaving and returning again in 2055.
This extraordinary event presents a unique opportunity for scientists to study near-Earth objects, gaining valuable insights into their behavior and potential threats. As the asteroid dances with our planet, it provides a captivating reminder of the dynamic and ever-evolving nature of our solar system.
