Featured Image Credit: Science Photo Library - ANDRZEJ WOJCICKI / Maciej Frolow / Getty
An asteroid called '2024 PT5' is heading towards Earth and it's set to have a rather unusual fate.
While most asteroids that come hurtling our way smash through the planet's atmosphere, scientists predict that this one will get trapped in orbit and become what is known as a 'mini-moon.'
Two researchers from Spain's Universidad Complutense de Madrid discovered the small asteroid - which measures around 10 meters (33 feet) in diameter - last month (August 7).
Carlos de la Fuente Marcos and Raúl de la Fuente Marcos explored a number of calculations related to the object's orbit as it approaches Earth in a paper published in the journal Research Notes of the AAS.
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The asteroid dynamics researchers concluded that it will become captured in our planet's orbit for a brief window between September 29 and November 25.
In other words, for a total of 56.6 days, Earth will have two moons - well, one proper Moon and one mini-moon.
After this, 2024 PT5 will fall back into the Sun's orbit and continue its journey through the solar system.
After its time with us starting later this month, the asteroid is predicted to make two further mini-moon visits. It will return to Earth's orbit in January 2025 before quickly leaving and returning once again in 2055.
While pieces of space junk can sometimes be mistaken for mini-moons, the researchers note that the asteroid is 'unlikely to be artificial.'
They suggest that it could be part of a group of asteroids called Arjunas, near-Earth objects with a similar orbit to our planet.
One astronomy enthusiast posted a video of what we can expect on X (formerly Twitter) and people are pretty excited about it.
Newly-discovered #asteroid 2024 PT5 is about to undergo a "mini-moon event" when its geocentric energy becomes negative from September 29 - November 25.https://t.co/sAo1qSRu3J pic.twitter.com/pVYAmSbkCF
— Tony Dunn (@tony873004) September 10, 2024
"Seriously cool. Just the kind of NASA efforts we need to spend money on. There are a lot of rocks out there between us and the sun, and we don't see them coming till the last minute because, well, they are in the glare of the sun! Good work on this one guys," one person said.
"This will be EPIC!" commented another.
Others asked how they'll be able to see the asteroid, writing: "Will it be visible through a telescope or naked eye? From where and when? Does anyone have all such details?"
Unfortunately, it's highly unlikely that we'll be able to catch a glimpse of the mini-moon while it's in the Earth's orbit.
According to the NASA JPL Small-Body Database, 2024 PT5 has a magnitude of no more than 27.6, meaning it will be too dim to see through amateur telescopes.
