2024 PT5 is a near-Earth asteroid with a diameter of 11 meters (artist’s impression shows a … (+)
Say hello to 2024 PT5, Earth’s newest mini-moon. PT5 is expected to enter Earth’s orbit for a few months starting September 29, 2024. It is a near-Earth asteroid that will be captured by our planet for a short period of time before being released back into the solar system to orbit the sun.
Here’s why, when, and everything else you need to know about Earth’s minimoon:
Mini Moon: What is 2024 PT5?
2024 PT5 is a near-Earth asteroid with a diameter of 11 meters – about the size of two giraffes. It is known as the Arjuna asteroid and its existence was confirmed by a study in the journal Research notes of the American Astronomical Society.
The satellite will approach Earth at a close distance and low relative speed, entering orbit on September 29 and returning to orbit on November 25. It will also come very close to Earth on January 9, 2025, the report said.
Earth regularly captures NEOs and pulls them into its orbit, turning them into minimoons, the researchers say. They describe the minimoon as a “temporarily captured flyby.”
Mini Moon: Where is 2024, Part 5?
According to The SkyLive, 2024 PT5 is currently located in the constellation Draco in the northern sky of the Northern Hemisphere. It is about three million kilometers from Earth.
Can we see the mini moon? No. At magnitude 22, it is far too faint to be seen with the naked eye or even with powerful backyard telescopes. Only astronomers with large professional 30-inch telescopes can see it.
Mini Moon: Where does 2024 PT5 come from?
NEAs – which include 2004 PT5 – generally come from the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. More specifically, 2024 PT5 comes from the Arjuna asteroid belt, which has an Earth-like orbit around the Sun. It will be slow enough and come close enough to Earth to briefly enter orbit starting September 29, when Earth’s gravity will pull it closer and bring it into orbit.
It was discovered on August 7 by the South African Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope, which also discovered the imminent naked-eye comet A3.
The other moons of the Earth
Although there is only one object orbiting the Earth – the Moon – our planet has quasi-satellites. One of these is Kamo’oalewa, which moves in synchrony with the Earth in a 1:1 resonance and therefore appears to orbit the Earth, although in reality it orbits the Sun.
Kamo’oalewa, also called 2016 HO3, which means “vibrating celestial object” in Hawaiian, has a diameter of 40 to 100 meters, making it about the size of the Statue of Liberty. It was discovered in 2016.
I wish you clear skies and big eyes.
