NASA scientists calculated that Earth should have captured a "second moon" on Sunday (Sept. 29). The "mini-moon" is actually the tiny asteroid 2024 PT5, which usually orbits the sun as part of a small asteroid belt that follows Earth.
While Earth's primary companion, the moon, has lingered around our planet for around 4 billion years since its formation in the solar system's infancy, this asteroid will be a temporary fixture that won't even see the year out.
"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)," Marcos told Space.com last week. "Objects in the Arjuna asteroid belt are part of the near-Earth object population of asteroids and comets."
Aww poops, it's smaller than a blue whale from our planet and not observable by human eyes even behind a big telescope. Still, it's nice to learn about some of the other stuff in our very empty...
Whereas the moon dominates the night sky over Earth for at least half the month, 2024 PT5 won't be observable to the average skywatcher.
Aww poops, it's smaller than a blue whale from our planet and not observable by human eyes even behind a big telescope. Still, it's nice to learn about some of the other stuff in our very empty solar system. I hope we get some good pictures
Didn't even know about the Arjuna belt, that's awesome. And that this is a regular occurrence.
Aww poops, it's smaller than a blue whale from our planet and not observable by human eyes even behind a big telescope. Still, it's nice to learn about some of the other stuff in our very empty solar system. I hope we get some good pictures