Earth’s ‘second moon’ will be visible today. All about asteroid 2024 PT5

This fall, Earth will briefly welcome a new visitor. A small asteroid will be trapped by the planet’s gravitational field and will become a temporary “mini-moon” from September 29 to November 25 before resuming its journey through space.

The arrival of the minimoon has sparked interest among stargazers and space enthusiasts. Unfortunately, it will not be visible to the naked eye due to its small size and lack of brightness. Even binoculars or home telescopes won’t reveal it: you need professional equipment to get a glimpse.

According to Dr. Jennifer Millard, host of the Awesome Astronomy podcast, professional telescopes will capture images of the mini-moon. “You’ll be able to see wonderful images online of this little dot darting among the stars,” Millard told the BBC.

Asteroid 2024 PT5

The asteroid, named 2024 PT5, originates from the Arjuna asteroid belt, which contains rocks with Earth-like orbits. It was first detected on August 7 by NASA’s Asteroid Land Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) and measures about 33 feet wide.

According to Dr. Jennifer Millard, host of the Awesome Astronomy podcast, professional telescopes will capture images of the mini-moon. “You’ll be able to see wonderful images online of this little dot darting among the stars,” Millard told the BBC.

The asteroid, named 2024 PT5, originates from the Arjuna asteroid belt, which contains rocks with Earth-like orbits. It was first detected on August 7 by NASA’s Asteroid Land Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) and measures about 33 feet wide.

“It will not complete a full revolution around the Earth. Our planet will alter its orbit slightly before continuing on its way,” Millard explained.

Some asteroids come close to Earth, coming as close as 4.5 million kilometers (2.8 million miles). If an asteroid, like 2024 PT5, is moving at a relatively slow speed, around 3,540 km/h (2,200 mph), Earth’s gravity can temporarily trap it, which is exactly what is about to happen this weekend. .

Minimoons have been seen before and it is likely that many more have gone unnoticed. Some even return for repeat visits, like asteroid 2022 NX1, which became a minimoon in 1981 and again in 2022.

If you miss this event, don’t worry: 2024 PT5 is expected to return to Earth orbit in 2055.

“This story shows how busy our solar system is and how much remains to be discovered. This asteroid was only detected earlier this year,” Millard added.