Earth is about to gain a temporary companion in space: a mini-moon. The asteroid 2024 PT5 will orbit Earth from September 29 to November 25, 2024. This event, though brief, is quite rare.
Discovered on August 7 using NASA’s ATLAS system, the asteroid 2024 PT5 has a diameter of only 10 meters (33 feet). Over its 53-day stay, it will not complete a full orbit but will instead follow a horseshoe trajectory before departing Earth’s gravitational influence.
The Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society report, authored by Carlos de la Fuente Marcos and Raul de la Fuente Marcos, notes that Earth often captures asteroids temporarily. These objects sometimes complete one or more orbits but can also escape before doing so.
In contrast to the year-long orbit of an asteroid in 2006, 2024 PT5 is more similar to the 2022 NX1, which made brief passes by Earth in 1981 and 2022 without completing an orbit and may return around 2051.
Despite occasionally attracting space debris, 2024 PT5 is confirmed to be a natural object. Its orbital characteristics align closely with those of asteroids from the Arjuna asteroid belt.
This rare celestial event will offer a unique opportunity for observation and study, as the mini-moon makes its brief journey around Earth.