Earth Soon to Have New Satellite

The asteroid, which scientists discovered in August and named 2024 PT5, will not fly past the Earth as it usually does. Astronomers from the Complutense University of Madrid have studied the path of the space object and concluded that it will become a ‘mini-satellite’ of the Earth.

This is reported by IFL Science.

The publication notes that this phenomenon will not last long - about two months, from 29 September to 25 November. After that, the asteroid will return to its usual ‘journey’ through the solar system.

Scientists explain that 2024 PT5 is ‘unlikely to be artificial’, meaning it is probably not just a piece of space debris that can be mistaken for a mini-moon. The researchers suggest that it could be an asteroid Arjuna, a near-Earth object that has an orbit similar to that of our planet.

Scientists have doubts about whether we will be able to see the ‘mini-moon’ in Earth's orbit. According to NASA's JPL Minor Body Database, 2024 PT5 has an absolute magnitude of 27.6 - it will not be visible to most amateur telescopes.

Asteroid 2024PT5 is expected to return to Earth's orbit in January 2025, before quickly disappearing and returning again in 2055.

This phenomenon is rare, but it is not the first time it has happened. Asteroid 2022 NX1 was a ‘short-lived mini-moon’ in 1981. It quickly left the orbit of our planet. Astronomers predict that it will return in 2051.