As a seasoned space enthusiast with years of gazing at the cosmos under my belt, I must say this upcoming event has piqued my interest more than ever. The prospect of witnessing a temporary mini-moon, or perhaps even multiple mini-moons if we’re lucky, is an opportunity that comes around far too seldom.
Around the world in 57 days.
By the end of September, it’s anticipated that a new moon will get drawn into our planet’s orbit. However, this unusual event will only persist for a brief period.
The celestial body currently gracing us with its presence isn’t your everyday moon; it’s actually an asteroid named 2024 PT5. This space rock was first detected by NASA’s Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) on August 7, a system designed to alert us about potential asteroid impacts. Unlike our long-term lunar companion, which has been circling our planet for roughly 4 billion years, this passing object is expected to make only one orbit around Earth. Its journey began on September 29 and it’s predicted to part ways with Earth’s gravitational pull on November 25.
Researchers Carlos de la Fuente Marcos and Raúl de la Fuente Marcos detailed an occurrence in the journal Research Notes of the AAS, stating that our planet often captures asteroids from the group of Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) and brings them into orbit, effectively turning these asteroids into temporary satellites or mini-moons.
Some argue that, given its tiny dimensions (approximately 33 feet across) and limited duration within Earth’s orbit, this asteroid may not fully meet the criteria to be classified as a mini-moon.
Whenever a celestial body resembling Earth’s orbit is found, there’s always a possibility it could be space debris, Raúl explained to the New York Times. However, he made clear that 2024 PT5 is absolutely a natural object.
How might one catch a peek at an extraterrestrial occurrence? Regrettably for skywatchers, the compact size of 2024 PT5 could make observation tricky, but its discovery remains fascinating because it’s an uncommon instance where Earth has temporarily gained extra moons.
In 1981 and 2022, an asteroid named 2022 NX1, much like another one called 2024 PT5 in 2024, made a quick lap around Earth. Interestingly, scientists pointed out that the trajectory of 2024 PT5 shares similarities with that of 2022 NX1, as they recorded in their journal.
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2024-09-18 21:47