Earth has temporarily gained a new celestial companion, asteroid 2024 PT5, officially turning it into a mini-moon. This event marks the latest instance where Earth’s gravity has pulled a small asteroid into a temporary orbit around our planet. Detected by astronomers from Complutense University of Madrid and discussed by MIT’s Richard Binzel, these mini-moons are rare and intriguing cosmic occurrences that provide valuable insights into our solar system’s dynamics.
Mini-moons like 2024 PT5, though small and fleeting, orbit Earth for a short duration before continuing their path around the sun. The current visitor, 2024 PT5, was captured by Earth’s gravity on September 29, 2024, and is expected to depart by November 25, 2024. Originating from the Arjuna asteroid belt, which follows an Earth-like orbit, 2024 PT5 approaches our planet at close range and low velocity, making it an ideal candidate for capture.
These temporary satellites offer significant scientific opportunities, serving as natural laboratories for studying near-Earth objects. Despite their size—2024 PT5 is only 37 feet in diameter compared to our moon’s 2,159 miles—they can teach us much about asteroid composition and solar system mechanics.
Unfortunately, spotting 2024 PT5 with amateur telescopes is not feasible due to its small size and dimness. It remains visible only to powerful professional telescopes equipped with CCD or CMOS detectors. As we continue to observe and study these mini-moons, we enhance our understanding of the cosmos and improve our readiness for future space missions, potentially including direct exploration of these transient moons.
For more on this fascinating topic, read the full story on Earth.com.