This isn’t the first time Earth has encountered a mini-moon. Asteroid 2022 NX1, for instance, orbited Earth briefly in 1981 and 2022. The good news for those who might miss 2024 PT5’s visit is ...

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 ...

There's a new moon on the horizon. The Earth will gain a second, mini-moon on Sept. 29, but it won't stick around too long, USA TODAY reports.The asteroid 2024 PT5 is expected to escape Earth's ...

Now named asteroid 2024 PT5, it will be captured in Earth's gravitational pull between Sept. 29 and Nov. 25. After that, it will escape Earth's orbit and be pulled toward the sun before continuing ...

A small asteroid, 2024 PT5, will spend the next two months alongside our planet as a mini moon before swooping back to deep space. Skip to main content. Scientific American. September 24, 2024.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Asteroid 2024 PT5 measures in at about 33 feet in diameter. Will the mini-moon be visible? You won't be able to see the passing mini-moon as it enters Earth's gravity with the naked eye or even a ...

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 ...