Astronomers
Astronomers recently found a small asteroid, 2024 PT5, captured by Earth’s gravity, creating a temporary mini-moon. The discovery was made in late September and will last until approximately November 25th.
“These temporary captures are natural cosmic laboratories. They help us understand the small bodies that come close to Earth and could be important for future space missions,” MIT astronomer Richard Binzel said.
In this gallery, we dive into the details of 2024 PT5, as well as earth’s main moon.
37 feet
Earth’s main moon is 2,159 miles wide, while 2024 PT5 is just 37 feet. The Moon is Earth’s only natural satellite, orbiting at an average distance of 384,400 km (238,900 mi).
Main moon
Our main moon is about 30 times the diameter of Earth, and its gravitational influence is responsible for the tides on Earth, affecting ocean levels globally. It has a synchronous rotation, meaning the same side always faces Earth, a phenomenon known as tidal locking.
2024 PT5
2024 PT5 came from the Arjuna asteroid belt, orbiting 93 million miles from the sun. It can approach Earth within 2.8 million miles at low speeds.
NASA
NASA noted that 2024 PT5 entered Earth’s orbit in September of 2024, and will leave on November 25, 2024. Mini-moons like 2024 PT5 often offer insights into near-Earth objects.
Some frequency
“These happen with some frequency, but we rarely see them because they’re very small and very hard to detect. Only recently has our survey capability reached the point of spotting them routinely,” Binzel said.
Window shoppers
Mini-moon expert Carlos de la Fuente Marcos said, “Asteroid 2024 PT5 will not describe a full orbit around Earth. You may say that if a true satellite is like a customer buying goods inside a store, objects like 2024 PT5 are window shoppers.”