NASA scientists predicted that Earth captured a second “mini-moon” on Sunday, Sept. 29. This small object is asteroid 2024 PT5, which typically orbits the sun as part of a small asteroid belt that follows Earth.
Short-lived Satellite
While Earth’s moon has orbited our planet for billions of years, this temporary mini-moon won’t last long. Experts say it will not remain with Earth for the rest of the year.
According to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the asteroid’s capture began at 3:54 p.m. EDT (1954 UTC). It will exit Earth’s orbit on Nov. 25 at 11:43 a.m. EDT (1543 UTC). Professor Carlos de la Fuente Marcos, a mini-moon event expert at Universidad Complutense de Madrid, shared these details with Space.com on Sept. 25.
The Arjuna Asteroid Belt
“This object belongs to the Arjuna asteroid belt, which follows orbits similar to Earth’s,” Marcos said. Objects in this belt are part of a population of near-Earth asteroids and comets. The asteroid orbits the sun at an average distance of 93 million miles, or 150 million kilometers.
Not Uncommon
Though the idea of a second moon may sound unusual, these temporary captures happen frequently, astronomers said.
Marcos explained, “Asteroid 2024 PT5 will not complete a full orbit around Earth. It’s more like window shopping.”
Visibility and Observation
However, this mini-moon will be hard to observe for the average skywatcher. “The object is too small and dim for amateur telescopes,” Marcos said. Yet, professional telescopes can detect it. A telescope with a 30-inch diameter and a CCD or CMOS detector will be needed for viewing.
Because the asteroid is so dim, it will not be visible to star-gazers in the night sky from Saint Lucia.
Source/Photo: space.com
