These asteroids have orbits similar to Earth’s, and 2024 PT5 measures around 33 feet wide. Unlike Earth’s natural moon, this asteroid won’t stay long or complete a full orbit around the planet.

The astroid isn't technically a mini-moon, said Casey DeRoo, a University of Iowa associate professor in the physics and astronomy department. 2024 PT5 will not make a full orbit around Earth, and ...

This is not the first mini-moon that Earth has had. 2024 PT5 is tracing a very similar path to asteroid 2022 NX1, which was also about 33 feet in diameter. In 1981 and 2022, the asteroid 2022 NX1 ...

What is 2024 PT5, which will orbit Earth like a second moon? The asteroid 2024 PT5 was discovered by the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) on Aug. 7, per USA TODAY.

If an asteroid, like 2024 PT5, moves at a relatively slow speed- around 2,200 mph (3,540 km/h)-Earth's gravity can temporarily trap it, which is exactly what's about to happen this weekend.

Editor’s Note (9/30/24): This story has been updated to reflect the arrival of the mini moon 2024 PT5. It’s here: Earth has gained a mysterious new visitor from deep space—but it won’t ...

Before concluding that 2024 PT5 was a fragment of the Moon, scientists needed to rule out the possibility that it was simply space debris, such as an old rocket part or a piece of human-made material.

Asteroid 2024 PT5 is 10 meters wide, which is about 33 feet, roughly the size of a city bus. In contrast, Earth's moon has a diameter of 2,159 miles, making 2024 PT5 just a tiny speck compared to it.

Asteroid 2024 PT5 was first discovered on August 7 by NASA’s Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS). You won’t be able to see this mini-moon with the naked eye or even with ...

2024 PT5 will make a horseshoe-type orbit around the Earth. The study dubbed it a "temporarily captured flyby," meaning this mini-moon is not expected to complete a full revolution around Earth.

When will the mini-moon be in orbit of the Earth? Asteroid 2024 PT5 is expected to enter Earth's gravitational pull on Sunday, Sept. 29, and stay with us until Monday, Nov. 25.