Earth has a new temporary visitor, often called a “mini-moon.” This asteroid, named 2024 PT5, has been pulled in by Earth’s gravity and will be orbiting our planet from this Monday until November 25.
This is the fifth time a mini-moon has been recorded. Mini-moons are small space objects that get caught in Earth’s gravity and orbit briefly. The asteroid 2024 PT5 was discovered by Manish Purohit, a former ISRO scientist, and is around 10 meters (33 feet) wide. It comes from the Arjuna asteroid belt.
Even though it won’t fully orbit Earth like the moon does, 2024 PT5 will travel in a horseshoe-shaped path around our planet for about 55 days. After that, it will escape Earth’s gravity and head back into space. This gives astronomers a special opportunity to observe it.
Mini-moons like this one are rare, and they offer valuable chances for study. By tracking and observing 2024 PT5, scientists can learn more about asteroids, Earth’s gravitational influence, and the nature of these small celestial objects. The short visit of this mini-moon is a reminder of the ever-changing dynamics of our solar system.
