Earth lost its mini-moon, but posed for a photo before leaving (and promised to return soon)
Asteroid 2024 PT5, better known as Earth’s new mini-moon, has already escaped our planet’s gravitational influence. But astronomers are watching it and are convinced that it will return much sooner than previously thought.
Capture two months. The asteroid was captured by Earth’s gravity on September 29, 2024, becoming Earth’s minimoon before its departure on November 25.
At 11 meters in diameter, it is larger than previous mini-moons 2020 CD3 and 2006 RH120. However, it is too small for us to observe with the naked eye.
Farewell photo. Due to its tiny size and low brightness, 27th magnitude, asteroid 2024 PT5 also could not be observed in small telescopes, but it could be observed in the two-meter twin telescope of the Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands.
This image was taken in Spain on November 25th, the same day the mini moon stopped keeping us company. Thanks to these sightings, we now know it will return next year.
This is not goodbye, it’s see you later. According to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the asteroid will return on January 9, 2025, but will do so at a speed of 3,700 km/h, which is too fast for our planet to capture again.
Two more approaches are planned for November 2055 and May 2084. The latter offers the best prospects for the asteroid to once again become Earth’s mini-moon. If we’re still here in 60 years, look to Xataka to find out.
Where did he go? House. 2024 PT5 belongs to the Arjuna asteroid belt, a group of objects that orbit the Sun on trajectories similar to Earth, at an average distance of 150 million kilometers.
The presence of 2024 PT5 as a mini-moon is just an anecdote: there are probably many other similar objects that we have not discovered. But for this reason, this is a unique opportunity to study small objects close to Earth and better understand their orbital dynamics and gravitational interaction with our planet.
Images | Institute of Astrophysics of the Canary Islands
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