Mini Moon: The object, named 2024 PT5, has been following Earth for years. Now, it has come close enough to be captured by our planet’s gravity.
This mini-moon will remain in Earth’s orbit until November, when it will break free and continue on its own path around the Sun.
Mini-moons happen when an asteroid slowly approaches Earth in such a way as to be taken around more by our own planet’s gravity than the usually much more powerful pull of the Sun.
They are usually formed out of asteroids or other natural objects that are floating around space. But it is possible for them to be human-made, as when pieces of space junk get caught in our gravity.
The newly discovered object, named 2024 PT5, was first detected last month by scientists working on the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System. The “2024” in its name refers to the year it was discovered.
This alert system is designed to identify near-Earth objects that could potentially threaten life on Earth. However, this mini-moon poses no danger.
The discovery was detailed in a paper published in the journal Research Notes of the AAS, titled “A Two-month Mini-moon.” Researchers noted that 2024 PT5 is expected to follow a horseshoe-shaped trajectory, being temporarily captured by Earth’s gravity before leaving our orbit, likely around November 25.
The mini-moon will leave Earth’s vicinity in January, and researchers estimate it may pass by again in 2055.
While the object can be observed with specialized telescopes, it is too small and faint to be seen with the naked eye. Like many asteroids near Earth, 2024 PT5 is believed to have originated from the Arjuna belt, which contains smaller objects.
It’s relatively common for Earth to pass by and even capture small objects like 2024 PT5, but it’s rarer for them to become mini-moons and temporarily join our orbit. However, we’ve had mini-moons in the past, such as 2022 NX1, which was captured by Earth in 1981 and returned again in 2022.
Other planets also host mini-moons, with Jupiter being the most common due to its large mass and stronger gravitational pull. Mini-moons have also been observed around other planets in our solar system. Some planets even have quasi-moons, which orbit the Sun on paths similar to their parent planet, and these quasi-moons can also attract their own mini-moons.