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Minimoon in sight! Recently, a pair of researchers from the Complutense University in Madrid (Spain) discovered a small asteroid, which they named 2024 PT5, which, thanks to the trajectory it will have, will temporarily be the new mini-moon of the Earth.
The discovery was published in the journal Research Notes of the AAS, and given its current size, speed and trajectory, they calculated that It would get close enough to Earth that it would be trapped by its gravity.
According to experts orbits our planet in 53 days —starting in late September —and then abandoning it in mid-November.
Why is 2024 PT5 a minimoon?
Also called (NEO), that is, near-Earth objects, They track trajectories around our planetHowever, when they get too close and at low speed, They can become trapped by Earth’s gravity.
The above mentioned turns them into a second satellite that orbits the planetAlthough it can take days, months, even hours, it is called a minimoon because it is unable to make a complete revolution like our Moon.
“Earth can periodically capture asteroids from the Near-Earth Object (NEO) population and pull them into its orbit, turning them into mini-moons”; is stated in the introduction of the study.
How long will Earth have a minimoon?
According to the calculations of astronomers Between September 29 and November 25, this celestial body will make a partial orbit before continuing its journey.
Importantly, many asteroids follow partial or complete elliptical trajectories around Earth before being flung away.
The case of asteroid 2024 PT5 becoming a partial mini-moon of Earthis not the first of its kind, however, due to the difficulty of detecting this type of celestial and rocky bodies, it is attributed as a major astronomical event,
