Earth's got an extra moon
Two moons are cool!
As of two weeks ago, Earth got a new mini-moon! Well, sort of. This mini-moon is actually an asteroid called 2024 PT5. As it was traveling around the sun, it got caught in Earth's gravity. It will hang around Earth for a short time before zooming off again on November 25, 2024.
What do you mean by getting caught in Earth’s gravity?
The asteroid hails from the Arjuna asteroid belt, which contains rocks that follow an orbit quite similar to Earth’s. Occasionally, some of these asteroids get relatively close, getting as near as 2.8 million miles (4.5 million km) from our planet.
If an asteroid like this is moving at a relatively slow speed of around 2,200mph (3,540km/h), Earth’s gravitational field can exert a strong influence, enough to trap it temporarily.
Which is exactly what’s happened - this small asteroid will spend about two months orbiting Earth.
Unlike our regular moon, which has been around for 4 billion years, this mini-moon is only going to stick with us for about two months. After that, it will go back to its usual path in space, where it orbits the sun.
This little visitor comes from a special group of space rocks called the Arjuna asteroid belt. These asteroids have orbits similar to Earth's and travel about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers) away from the sun, just like Earth does. Some of these asteroids can get pretty close to us, about 2.8 million miles (4.5 million kilometers) away, which is still a safe distance. When they move slowly enough, Earth’s gravity can capture them for a while, just like what’s happening with 2024 PT5.
Earth has had mini-moons before! One of them, called 2020 CD3, stayed with us from 2016 to 2020. And 2024 PT5 might come back for another visit in 2055. These temporary moons aren’t dangerous, but they are super interesting to scientists. They help us learn more about the space rocks that sometimes get close to Earth!
Can I see this ‘new’ moon?
Apart from yhe fact that asteroid 2024 PT5 will only stick around for a few weeks, as opposed to billions of years, isn't the only major difference between this "mini-moon" and the actual moon.
Due to its small size and dim appearance, the asteroid won't be visible to the naked eye or even through typical amateur telescopes or binoculars. Because it is small and made of dull rock it will not be visible to people on earth even if they use binoculars or a home telescope. However, professional astronomers, equipped with high-powered telescopes of at least 30 inches in diameter and advanced detectors, may be able to observe it during its brief stay. It definitely won’t light up the night sky like the Moon!
The significant size difference is one reason for its fleeting presence and lack of visibility to casual skywatchers. While the Moon is about 3,475 kilometers in diameter, 2024 PT5 is just 37 feet (roughly 11 meters) across—an incredible size contrast that makes it over 300,000 times smaller than the Moon.
The discovery of asteroid 2024 PT5 this year is a reminder of how dynamic and crowded our solar system truly is. It's astonishing to think that there are likely tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of small objects like this one still waiting to be discovered. These asteroids, comets, and other celestial bodies are constantly moving through space, often unseen and unnoticed until they come close enough for us to detect.
This highlights the importance of ongoing efforts to monitor the night sky. Advancements in technology, particularly with telescopes and detection systems, are crucial to identifying these small, hard-to-spot objects. By finding and tracking them, astronomers can better understand the composition and behavior of our solar system, as well as assess any potential risks that might arise from objects crossing Earth's path. Discovering these asteroids is not just about curiosity; it's also about planetary defense and ensuring we are aware of any potential impacts long before they become a danger.
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30 years ago in Nepal, Yagya Kumar Pradhan woke up to the news that two holy masks from his temple had been stolen. He filed a police complaint but got no further or closer to finding the masks. He gave up all hope. Until many decades later, one of his family members reached out to detectives on Instagram. As luck would have it, one of them chanced upon its photo his cousin had sent, just when he was standing in front of the real one displayed in New York. And this detective went a long long way in sending it back to Nepal.