Asteroid 2024 PT5 to Become Temporary Mini-Moon of Earth

From September 29 to November 25, 2024, Earth will temporarily host a new companion, the asteroid 2024 PT5, which will orbit our planet in a horseshoe trajectory. This small celestial object, approximately 10 meters in diameter, was first detected on August 7 by the ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System) in South Africa.

Astrophysicists from the Complutense University of Madrid, Carlos and Raúl de la Fuente Marcos, confirmed that 2024 PT5 will not complete a full orbit around Earth but will act as a mini-moon during its brief stay. Due to its small size, it will be challenging to observe with the naked eye.

The phenomenon of mini-moons occurs when near-Earth objects approach our planet at low speeds, acquiring a negative geocentric energy value, allowing them to be temporarily captured by Earth's gravity. While some mini-moons can remain for years, 2024 PT5 is classified among those that will only be present for weeks.

There is potential scientific and economic value in mini-moons, as they may contain valuable minerals for future space mining endeavors. The current trajectory of 2024 PT5 suggests it might not be artificial debris but rather a natural object, possibly even a fragment ejected from the Moon during an impact.

Researchers from the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands are currently analyzing data from observations made with the Gran Telescopio Canarias to further investigate the asteroid's composition and origins.

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