- 2024 PT5 was discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in August 2024.
- It is a small asteroid, roughly the size of a car, which makes it much smaller than our permanent moon.
- The asteroid will be captured by Earth’s gravity and will follow a partial orbit around our planet from September 29 to November 25, 2024.
- Unlike our permanent moon, 2024 PT5 will not complete a full orbit around Earth. Instead, it will follow a looping path before being ejected back into space.
- These mini-moons are typically too dim to be seen with the naked eye. Observing 2024 PT5 will require powerful telescopes.
- Such events are relatively common, occurring almost every year, but they often go unnoticed due to the small size and dimness of the objects involved.
- Studying these temporary moons can provide valuable insights into the dynamics of near-Earth objects and the gravitational interactions within our solar system.
- They also offer opportunities to test our planetary defense systems and improve our ability to track and predict the paths of small celestial bodies.
If you have any specific questions or want to know more about a particular aspect, feel free to ask! ??
