The asteroid is set to traverse alongside Earth for a span of two months.
Historically, Earth has experienced numerous visits from celestial bodies. As per scientists' predictions, an asteroid named "2024 PT5" is expected to circle the planet for roughly eight weeks starting from late September. This intriguing event will carry an unusual twist.
The Earth is set to welcome a short-term celestial companion: An asteroid could potentially traverse a horseshoe-shaped path around our planet from September 29 to November 25, as per astronomers' estimates. Post this period, it will depart. "Pretty incredible" was the term used by astrophysicist Federica Spoto from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics to describe "2024 PT5" to The New York Times.
Nonetheless, skygazers should not anticipate seeing two moons illuminating the night sky: "2024 PT5" is too tiny to be noticed without the aid of a telescope. Most asteroids pass by Earth at a considerable distance, while a direct impact or cratering is a rarity.
Unlike other asteroids, "2024 PT5" has a distinctive destiny: It is set to be captured by Earth's gravitational pull and coexist with the planet for approximately eight weeks, as stated in the "Research Notes" of the American Astronomical Society.
"2024 PT5" is not space junk
"2024 PT5" was detected using ground telescopes at the beginning of August. The asteroid measures around ten meters in diameter. "The discovery of '2024 PT5' serves as a reminder that there is a bustling cosmic highway around Earth," said Spoto. The intriguing aspect of this asteroid is that it could very well remain in Earth's orbit for a two-month rotation, as revealed in the "Research Notes". Remarkably, it is likely to be a piece of debris ejected from a lunar impact, as suggested. Consequently, the temporary "moonlet" could be a fragment of the actual Moon.
It is most likely a Nysa-class asteroid, orbiting the Sun like Earth, according to Carlos de la Fuente Marcos and Raúl de la Fuente Marcos from the Universidad Complutense in Madrid, as mentioned in the "Research Notes". Considering its trajectory, it is highly unlikely that it is an artificial object, such as space debris.
Those harboring dreams of mining celestial resources may find themselves keeping a watchful eye on the heavens in the coming months: "Every time asteroid mining is brought up, it's all about mini-moons," Spoto explained to The New York Times.
A metal-rich asteroid orbiting Earth would be an attractive target for miners. And this visitor will return! Similar occurrences, such as "2022 NX1" in 1981 and 2022, as cited in the "Research Notes", have already been recorded. Its return is scheduled for 2051. "2024 PT5" is expected to revisit Earth in 2055.
The asteroid "2024 PT5," predicted to orbit Earth for eight weeks, isn't just a passing celestial body but a potential temporary "moonlet" due to its possible lunar origins.
Despite its potential significance, astronomers advise that observing "2024 PT5" would require the use of a telescope, as its small size of ten meters makes it inconspicuous to the naked eye.
