Earth To Host New Mini-Moon 2024 PT5 For Two Months

A small asteroid will orbit Earth once before heading back into the solar system, according to researchers from Complutense de Madrid Universitaria. Carlos de la Fuente Marcos and Raúl de la Fuente Marcos detailed their findings in Research Notes of the AAS, Phys.org reported..

Previous studies have indicated that asteroids often get temporarily captured by Earth's gravity. For instance, a small asteroid orbited Earth for about a year in 2006, and another did so for several years until 2020.

The asteroid, named 2024 PT5, was discovered last month through the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System. The researchers determined it is not on a collision course with Earth but will be temporarily bound by Earth's gravity.

The asteroid measures only 10 meters across. By analysing its size, speed, and trajectory, the researchers calculated that it would come close enough to Earth to be captured by its gravity for a short period.

The calculations show that 2024 PT5 will complete one orbit around Earth in 53 days. This orbit will start at the end of this month and conclude around mid-November.

The researchers also estimated the asteroid's origins. They believe it likely came from the Arjuna asteroid belt, which contains many asteroids with orbits similar to Earth's around the sun.

They also noted that 2024 PT5 is unlikely to be space debris because its path resembles that of naturally occurring objects.