Earth’s orbit has temporarily welcomed a second moon. Discovered by NASA scientists in early August, the mini-moon, 2024 PT5, arrived in Earth’s orbit early yesterday morning.
Astronomers from the Complutense University of Madrid first observed asteroid 2024 PT5 in early August. Using the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in Sutherland, South Africa, they were able to identify, monitor and predict the asteroid’s path towards Earth.
Declared a “mini-moon,” the asteroid arrived in Earth’s orbit Sunday. It will linger around Earth until Nov. 25, making its exit just before the holiday season. Although the space rock will not stick around for long, platforms like TikTok, Instagram and X have been anticipating the space rock’s arrival.
Astrologists on Instagram are considering the implications a second moon will have on astrological signs, and there are hundreds of thousands of likes on posts about celebrating the mini-moon’s visit. However, people should not expect to see the mini-moon with the naked eye.
At about 37 feet wide — roughly the size of a school bus — 2024 PT5 will be smaller than the moon’s width of 2,159.2 miles. Amateur stargazers will struggle to see the mini-moon through their telescopes and binoculars. However, professional astronomers and scientists will be able to monitor the asteroid as it makes its trip around the world.
Asteroids are “Small Solar System Bodies,” according to the International Astronomical Union. These objects typically orbit around the sun but can be shifted by the gravitational pulls of other celestial objects.
In the case of 2024 PT5, the Earth’s gravitational pull will capture the mini-moon for about two months. While in orbit, it will travel around the Earth at 2,200 mph before slingshotting back into the Arjuna asteroid belt, a group of near-Earth objects, or NEOs, orbiting the sun at an average distance “of about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers),” according to space.com.
This astronomical event is not as rare as it seems and happens quite frequently. Earth has had many “mini-moons” visit during it’s 4.5 billion year history, including ones in 2022 and 2020. Some scientists even speculate there is always an NEO in orbit.
2024 PT5’s visit to the Earth’s orbit presents valuable research opportunities for scientists to test detection techniques, learn more about NEOs and how to predict when they’ll come close to the planet.
ATLAS, the system that spotted 2024 PT5, is one of four asteroid impact early warning systems scattered worldwide. Each night, these systems scan the night sky in search of moving objects that may present danger to the Earth. Depending on the size of an object, ATLAS can detect a threat up to several weeks away.
As the public engages with 2024 PT5’s arrival, it is worth reflecting on how pop culture may influence perceptions of space events.
Recent films such as “Don’t Look Up” (2021) and “Moonfall” (2022) dramatize cosmic threats, while classics like “Armageddon” (1998) capture our collective imagination regarding the prevention of asteroid impacts. Though steeped in fiction, these stories fuel the public’s interest about space programs, scientific discovery and cosmic events.
Celebration of the mini-moon’s visit is representative of a collective fear often reflected in entertainment media. Yet, the mini-moon’s mystique also reminds us of the wonders of space, as well as the discovery awaiting in the unknown.
Though this celestial visitor will only stick around for two months, it will act as a reminder and a source of imagination for those who look up at the sky.
