RNS: In an extraordinary celestial event, Earth is set to welcome a temporary “mini-moon” as an asteroid is captured by the planet’s gravity for approximately two months. Designated 2024 PT5, this asteroid will orbit Earth from September 29 to November 25 of this year, offering a unique spectacle for skywatchers.
Discovered on August 7 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS)—a NASA-funded initiative for early asteroid impact detection—2024 PT5 is relatively small, measuring just 10 meters (33 feet) in diameter. During its brief stay, the asteroid will not complete a full orbit around Earth. Instead, it will trace a horseshoe-shaped path before eventually drifting away from our planet’s gravitational influence.
The findings were detailed in a report published by the Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society (RNAAS), authored by Carlos de la Fuente Marcos and Raul de la Fuente Marcos. The report notes that Earth’s gravitational field occasionally captures asteroids, pulling them into orbit. These captured asteroids may circle Earth for varying durations, sometimes completing full orbits, but other times departing before finishing a single revolution.
The report draws comparisons to past events, including the 2006 capture of an asteroid, which orbited Earth for a year before escaping. The newly identified 2024 PT5 shares similarities with the 2022 NX1 asteroid, which had temporary encounters with Earth in 1981 and 2022 but did not complete an orbit. The 2024 PT5 is expected to follow a similar trajectory and might return for another pass around 2051.
Despite occasional captures of space debris, the report confirms that 2024 PT5 is a natural object.
Its orbital characteristics suggest it is similar to asteroids from the Arjuna asteroid belt, reinforcing its classification as a genuine celestial body rather than space junk.
