Earth is set to capture a new mini-moon later this month, but its stay will be brief. According to a study by researchers Carlos de la Fuente Marcos and Raúl de la Fuente Marcos from Universidad Complutense de Madrid, the small asteroid , named 2024 PT5 , will orbit Earth for a short period, from September 29 to November 25, 2024.
The asteroid, around 10 meters wide, was discovered through the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System. The study highlights that 2024 PT5 will be pulled into Earth's gravitational field for 56 days. "2024 PT5 will circle the Earth one time before it escapes back into space," the researchers stated. This event, known as a "temporarily captured flyby," involves asteroids entering Earth’s gravity but not completing multiple orbits, unlike other mini-moons that have remained in orbit for extended periods.
Key details about 2024 PT5
The asteroid, around 10 meters wide, was discovered through the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System. The study highlights that 2024 PT5 will be pulled into Earth's gravitational field for 56 days. "2024 PT5 will circle the Earth one time before it escapes back into space," the researchers stated. This event, known as a "temporarily captured flyby," involves asteroids entering Earth’s gravity but not completing multiple orbits, unlike other mini-moons that have remained in orbit for extended periods.
Key details about 2024 PT5
- 2024 PT5 will be in Earth's orbit for 56 days, from September 29 to November 25, 2024.
- The asteroid will perform a single orbit around Earth before returning to its heliocentric (solar) path.
- Like other asteroids, 2024 PT5 follows a "horseshoe orbit," where it approaches Earth at low velocities, making temporary capture by gravity possible.
- The asteroid is likely from the Arjuna group, which shares a similar orbit to Earth, and it is believed to be a natural object, not space debris.
- Earth has captured mini-moons before. In 2006, an asteroid orbited for nearly a year, while another stayed until 2020.
- The next predicted return of 2024 PT5 to Earth's vicinity is in 2055, following its current journey beyond the planet.
