Earth is about to gain a temporary mini-moon, a rare celestial event that will show the power of Earth's gravity.
The rare mini-moon will be in the form of asteroid 2024 PT5. Discovered on August 7, 2024, this asteroid measures approximately 10 meters (33 feet) in diameter and will be captured by Earth's gravity from September 29 to November 25, 2024.
During this two-month period, the asteroid will loop around Earth but will not complete a full orbit. After November 25, 2024, 2024 PT5 will break free from Earth's gravitational influence and return to orbiting the Sun.
In a paper published by the American Astronomical Society, researchers detailed the findings.
"Near-Earth objects (NEOs) that follow horseshoe paths, and approach our planet at close range and low relative velocity, may undergo mini-moon events in which their geocentric energy becomes negative for hours, days or months, but without completing one revolution around Earth while bound," the paper read.
Asteroid 2024 PT5 is part of a collection of near-Earth objects with orbits similar to Earth's. Its relatively low velocity and close approach will allow Earth's gravity to temporarily alter its path, causing it to become a mini-moon.
While Earth has had mini-moons before, 2024 PT5 will be too dim to observe with the naked eye or most amateur telescopes. With a magnitude of 22, it will only be visible to advanced observatories.
Despite its small size and brief stay, asteroid 2024 PT5 offers valuable insights into the dynamics of near-Earth objects.
Studying how Earth's gravity influences its path can help astronomers refine models of gravitational interaction and improve predictions for how other asteroids might behave when passing close to our planet.
Researchers added that this is not the first time that Earth is getting a temporary moon. An example of NEO experiencing such a temporarily captured flyby is 2022 NX1, which was a short-lived mini-moon in 1981 and 2022.
Moreover, mini-moons like 2024 PT5 are of interest to the growing fields of asteroid mining and space exploration. Being relatively close and easy to access, they offer promising targets for missions aimed at studying or extracting resources from asteroids.
While 2024 PT5's time as Earth's mini-moon may be fleeting, its presence highlights the ever-changing dynamics of our planet's interaction with small celestial bodies.
