Earth is about to get a second moon—a tiny asteroid named 2024 PT5—that will orbit the planet for about two months between September 29 and November 25 before escaping gravity.
According to Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, 2024 PT5 will be Earth’s temporary ‘mini-moon’.
Though it can’t be seen with the naked eye or binoculars or a home telescope, but it can be visible to professional equipment because of its small size and made of dull rock.
On 7 August, NASA’s Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) spotted the asteroid 2024 PT5. It is believed to be around 33 feet (10 meters) wide and hails from the Arjuna asteroid belt, a jumble of space rocks that orbit the sun close to Earth.
This is not the first time mini-moons have been spotted, as in 1981 and again in 2022, 2022 NX 1 became an ephemeral companion to planet Earth. Scientists predict 2024 PT5 will also return to Earth’s orbit again in 2055.