A remarkable celestial event is on the horizon, pun intended, as a second mini-moon is expected to enter Earth's orbit soon. This phenomenon is known as a "temporary satellite" or "quasi-moon." It occurs when a small asteroid gets trapped under Earth's gravity for a while before drifting away.
The event will take place from September 29 until November 25. Notably, given the quasi-moon's shape and size, the asteroid likely won't be visible to the naked eye or even with a small telescope. At just 33 feet long and a part of the Arjuna asteroid belt, a larger telescope will be needed to behold the sight of the incoming rock.
Mini-moon is like a "window shopper," one researcher says
NASA's Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) discovered the mini-moon on August 7. Mini-moons like this are hard to come by, and only four have been detected, making 2024 PT5 the fifth. Owing to the low velocity at which the asteroid is approaching Earth, it will get sucked into Earth's gravity for a temporary orbit.
However, before it completes a revolution, it will break free and return to its orbit around the sun, meaning it will only be part of our planet's orbit for two months. This is the only chance scientists have to analyze the asteroid, as PT5 won't return to Earth until 2051. Furthermore, this also means the asteroid won't be visible to the naked eye.
Dubbed 2024 PT5, Carlos de la Fuente Marcos, the research lead author cum Universidad Complutense de Madrid professor, told Space.com,
"The object is too small and dim for typical amateur telescopes and binoculars. However, the object is well within the brightness range of typical telescopes used by professional astronomers. A telescope with a diameter of at least 30 inches plus a CCD or CMOS detector are needed to observe this object, a 30 inches telescope and a human eye behind it will not be enough."
He shed more light on the forthcoming object, saying,
"The object that is going to pay us a visit belongs to the Arjuna asteroid belt, a secondary asteroid belt made of space rocks that follow orbits very similar to that of Earth at an average distance to the sun of about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers). Objects in the Arjuna asteroid belt are part of the near-Earth object population of asteroids and comets."
He continued, noting that such asteroids can come close to Earth at about 2.8 million miles (4.5 million km) and a rate of around 2,200 miles per hour (3,540 km/h). He continued,
"Under these conditions, the geocentric energy of the object may grow negative, and the object may become a temporary moon of Earth. This particular object will undergo this process starting next week and for about two months. It will not follow a full orbit around Earth. You may say that if a true satellite is like a customer buying goods inside a store, objects like 2024 PT5 are window shoppers."
Notably, not all scientists are on the same page regarding classifying 2024 PT5 as a mini-moon. According to Lance Benner, the principal investigator of the asteroid radar research program at the JPL, the asteroid not completing one whole revolution around Earth is enough grounds to prevent it from being dubbed a "mini-moon," the NYT reported.
The incoming mini-moon allows scientists and researchers to analyze its chemical makeup. This could be especially important in paving the way to source rocket fuel, as they contain minerals and water. Scientists will also learn about asteroids that pass by Earth and collide with the planet.
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