Mon Sep 23 15:15:04 UTC 2024: ## City Bus-Sized Asteroid to Briefly Become Earth’s “Mini-Moon”
Get ready for a celestial visitor! A small asteroid, designated 2024 PT5, will briefly become Earth’s “mini-moon” from September 29th to November 25th. This phenomenon, known as a “temporarily captured flyby,” occurs when an asteroid gets caught in Earth’s gravitational pull for a short period.
The asteroid, discovered in August by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), is roughly the size of a city bus. While it won’t complete a full orbit around Earth, its path will be close enough to be considered a mini-moon for two months.
Despite its temporary status, 2024 PT5 isn’t a rare occurrence. Earth has had several mini-moons in recent years, with some even bright enough to be seen with amateur telescopes. However, 2024 PT5 is expected to be too faint to observe, even with powerful telescopes.
Researchers believe that Earth may always have a mini-moon orbiting it somewhere, with some asteroids making repeat visits over many years. The 2022 NX1 asteroid, for example, was a mini-moon in 1981 and 2022, and is scheduled to return in 2051.
While this mini-moon might go unnoticed by the naked eye, it serves as a reminder of the dynamic and fascinating nature of our solar system.
First Piper 