Earth's Second Moon: The Arrival of Mini-Moon 2024 PT5
In a remarkable astronomical event, Earth is set to temporarily gain a second moon in late September 2024. While our natural satellite, the Moon, has held its sole position in the skies for billions of years, for a short 57-day period, a small asteroid named 2024 PT5 will join it as a transient "mini-moon." This fascinating phenomenon offers insight into the dynamic nature of Earth's cosmic environment and the ongoing study of Near-Earth Objects (NEOs). What is 2024 PT5? 2024 PT5 is a small asteroid, roughly the size of a school bus, measuring approximately 33 feet (10 meters) in diameter. It was first discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) on August 7, 2024. This asteroid hails from the Arjuna asteroid belt , a region that contains many space rocks with orbits similar to Earth's ( Business Insider ) ( livescience.com ) . The term "mini-moon" refers to objects like 2024 PT5, which are temporarily captured by Earth's...