Exciting Arrival: Earth's Mini-Moon 2024 PT5 is Here

This autumn, Earth will welcome a special visitor—a small asteroid named 2024 PT5. It will become a temporary "mini-moon" from September 29 to November 25.

Many space lovers are excited about this event. However, you won’t be able to see it with your eyes, binoculars, or regular telescopes.

To spot this tiny asteroid, you’ll need special professional equipment.

Dr. Jennifer Millard, an astronomer and host of the "Awesome Astronomy" podcast, shared that you can see images of the asteroid online.

It will look like a little dot moving quickly past the stars.

The asteroid is part of the Arjuna group, which has orbits similar to Earth’s. NASA first spotted the 2024 PT5 on August 7, and it’s about 33 feet wide.

While 2024 PT5 will orbit Earth for two months, it won’t complete a full loop around our planet. It will just have its path slightly changed before continuing its journey through space.

How far is it from Earth?

It is around 2.8 million miles away. And when they move at 2,200 mph, Earth’s gravity can pull them in for some time.

Did we see mini-moons before?

Yes, mini-moons like 2024 PT5 have appeared before, and a few also make a comeback.

For example, asteroid 2022 NX1 visited Earth in 1981 and again in 2022. It’s expected to return in 2055.

Dr. Millard suggested people keep their eyes open to witness the visitor.