2024 PT5 could be anywhere between 16 to 138 feet across, potentially larger than the asteroid that exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, in 2013, causing damage and injuries....For More READ THE FULL STORY▶▶
Asteroid 2024 PT5 will fall into the category of “mini-moons” – temporary celestial visitors to Earth’s orbit. View pictures in App save up to 80% data.
Earth is about to gain an unexpected visitor — a mini-moon — but don’t blink, or you might miss it. Astronomers have just discovered a small asteroid, 2024 PT5, which will be temporarily caught in Earth’s gravitational pull, orbiting our planet for just two months before slipping away into space.
Starting September 29, this fleeting mini-moon will make its brief appearance, only to vanish by November 25.
Details about the asteroid, its brief capture, and its horseshoe-shaped path were recently published in the Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society. First spotted on August 7 by NASA’s Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), the asteroid is believed to be about 37 feet in diameter, though more data is needed to confirm its size.
2024 PT5 could be anywhere between 16 to 138 feet across, potentially larger than the asteroid that exploded over Chelyabinsk, Russia, in 2013, causing damage and injuries. Fortunately, there is no risk of 2024 PT5 colliding with Earth during this event or in the near future, as it will orbit 2.6 million miles away, about 10 times the distance between Earth and the moon.
Asteroid 2024 PT5 will fall into the category of “mini-moons” – temporary celestial visitors to Earth’s orbit. These mini-moon events can vary in length, with some asteroids staying in orbit for years and others, like 2024 PT5, remaining for just weeks or months.
While mini-moon captures occur multiple times per decade, long-term events are rare. The asteroid is from the Arjuna asteroid group, which shares a similar orbit around the sun as Earth. After completing its brief stint as a mini-moon, 2024 PT5 will make another close flyby in January 2025, and astronomers predict it will return as a mini-moon in 2055 and again in 2084.
Although amateur astronomers won’t be able to spot this dim object, astronomers will use advanced telescopes to gather more data on its size and trajectory, further enhancing our understanding of Earth’s temporary companions..…For More READ THE FULL STORY ▶
