Earth is about to experience a temporary boost in its celestial entourage with a second moon, but it’s not quite what you might expect. In late September, a small asteroid will briefly become Earth’s second moon, though it may be too faint to observe. The asteroid, designated 2024 PT5, was first identified on August 7 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS). Researchers Carlos and Raúl de la Fuente Marcos from Spain’s Universidad Complutense de Madrid revealed this intriguing phenomenon in a paper published in Research Notes of the AAS.
According to their findings, 2024 PT5 will be captured by Earth’s gravity and orbit our planet from September 29 to November 25. After completing a single orbit, it will escape Earth’s gravitational influence and continue its journey through space.
This isn’t Earth’s first encounter with a temporary second moon. Historical records indicate similar events, such as a mini-moon in July 2006, which orbited Earth for about a year before leaving, and another transient object that was noted in 2020 but lacked conclusive data. Such occurrences are relatively uncommon but well-documented.
The researchers affirm that 2024 PT5 is a natural celestial body and not an artificial object, based on its trajectory and behavior, which align with those of other known mini-moons like 2022 NX1. The asteroid is believed to have originated from the Arjuna asteroid belt, a region populated by near-Earth objects with similar orbits to our planet’s.
Amateur astronomer Tony Dunn has created a fascinating simulation of the asteroid’s approach and departure, which has been shared on X. Following its brief visit, 2024 PT5 is expected to return on January 9, 2025, with its next close approach not scheduled until 2055.
