Scientists Reveal Earth Will Soon Have New 'Mini-Moon'

New 'Mini-Moon'

Earth is set to gain a second companion orbiting around it with the moon, sometime in the next few months, as per researchers. The new 'Mini-moon' according to experts will stay around the planet for two months, Space reported. This 'Mini-moon' has been labeled 2024 PT5 by scientists. This is not the first time such 'Mini-moon' events have occurred around the planet. Similar occurrences have already taken place in 1981 and 2022, PEOPLE reported.

Voyage Round the Earth

Carlos and Raúl de la Fuente Marcos, in their study published in Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, stated that an asteroid from the Near-Earth object (NEO) population will be briefly pulled into the Earth's orbit, PEOPLE reported. They further added that the event will take place somewhere between September 29 and November 25, 2024. During this particular duration, the asteroid is going to orbit around the Earth like the moon, and the whole phenomenon has been called a 'Mini-moon' event. The asteroid has been named 2024 PT5, and as per researchers will go back to orbiting the sun after its brief voyage around the Earth. 

'Mini-Moon' Events

'Mini-moon' events are of two types, based on the duration for which the asteroids interact with the planet, Space reported. The long episodes occur when the astronomical body completes one or two revolutions around a particular planet. The second type of episode is short, where the astronomical body does not last a full revolution. The bodies in the latter case orbit around the planet for just some days, weeks, or even a few months. To this date, researchers have recorded five 'Mini-moon' events around the Earth. "So far, science has only identified two objects subjected to long captures, 2006 RH120 and 2020 CD3. There are three examples published of short captures: 1991 VG, 2022 NX1, and 2024 PT5. But there are several others unpublished," Carlos de la Fuente Marcos stated.

2024 PT5

2024 PT5 belongs to the Arjuna asteroid belt, Space reported. Arjuna asteroid belt consists of space rocks, which also similarly orbit around the sun like Earth. The constituents of the Arjuna asteroid belt are always looked at closely by researchers because they are part of the near-Earth object population of asteroids and comets. Researchers of the study explained that some objects in the Arjuna asteroid belt like 2024 PT5 can approach Earth at a close range of around 2.8 million miles (4.5 million km) and at low velocities of around 2,200 miles per hour (3,540 km/h). Experts stated that the 2024 PT5 episode will be short by nature. "Under these conditions, the geocentric energy of the object may grow negative, and the object may become a temporary moon of Earth. This particular object will undergo this process starting next week and for about two months," Carlos de la Fuente Marcos added. "It will not follow a full orbit around Earth."

Visibility of the 'Mini-Moon' Event

Researchers associated with the study stated that most people will not be able to view the 2024 PT5 event, PEOPLE reported. "The object is too small and dim for typical amateur telescopes and binoculars. However, the object is well within the brightness range of typical telescopes used by professional astronomers," de la Fuente Marcos said. He added that a telescope with a diameter of at least 30 inches plus a CCD or CMOS detector will be needed to observe the asteroid. American Asteroid Society research has mentioned that 2024 PT5 will leave the neighborhood of Earth in January and return in 2055.