Our planet will soon have an extra celestial companion, often referred to as a “mini moon.”
This temporary moon is actually an asteroid, about 33 feet (10 meters) in size, comparable to a school bus. The asteroid, named 2024 PT5, will be captured by Earth’s gravity as it passes close by on Sunday. However, its stay will be brief—it will orbit Earth for only two months before continuing on its path.
Astronomers from Complutense University of Madrid first detected 2024 PT5 in August, using a powerful telescope located in Sutherland, South Africa.
According to Richard Binzel, an astronomer from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, these mini moons are likely more common than we think. The challenge lies in detecting them, as they are quite small and often go unnoticed. The last confirmed mini moon appeared in 2020.
“This phenomenon happens more often than people realize, but because of their size, mini moons are hard to spot,” Binzel noted. “Only in recent years have our telescopes become powerful enough to routinely detect them.”
