Earth will soon get its new mini-moon as a cosmic surprise of this year’s autumn.
According to BBC, a small asteroid called 2024 PT5 that was discovered on August 7, 2024, will become a temporary mini-moon of the Earth this autumn and will stick for two months.
But the rare cosmic event has raised so many questions in the minds of people. So to learn the science behind mini-moon and the reality behind it BBC News talked to the Navigation Engineer at NASA JPL, Dr. Davide Farnocchia.
Farnocchia said that the brightness of the object in the sky shows that it is expected to be between eight and 10 meters, adding, “So, it is going to stick around and be our companion for a few months before finally, you know, taking off and going on its way in the solar system a little bit further out from us.”
Is It Actually a Mini-Moon?
A NASA engineer asserted, “Calling the object a ‘mini-moon’ is kind of misleading because it is much farther out. If you look at the moon, the moon orbits the Earth.”
He describes that to be in orbit around the Earth, there are two conditions: distance from Earth and energy compared to Earth.
Distance From Earth
Farnocchia explained, “The moon is close enough to the Earth for the gravitational pull of our planet to be the dominant force driving its motion, and we have this sphere of influence where your motion is dominated by the Earth. That is about four lunar distances. You have to be within that sphere to really have the Earth driving your motion.”
Meanwhile, 2024 PT5 will be roaming around at about 9 lunar distances until it eventually departs. Although the motion of the object is perturbed enough from Earth, it is not orbiting the Earth.
Energy Compared to Earth
Farnocchia further added, “And the second component is that the energy of the moon is negative. That means the moon is not moving fast enough to leave the Earth. This object has negative energy relative to the Earth, which is one of the two conditions you need."
2024 PT5 is really moving around the sun, and it is close to the Earth, but not close enough to be captured and start orbiting the Earth like a moon.
Is It Going To Impact Earth?
As per Farnocchia, there is nothing to be worried about in 2024, PT5, as it will not have any effect on the Earth, satellites, or anything of this sort.
Can We See It?
Farnocchia said that the 2024 PT5 is a pretty small object and will not be visible to the naked eye or with amateur equipment. To observe it, one needs a professional telescope. It is going to be observable for months, so the professionals will keep track and get additional data.
To note, 2024 PT 5, commonly known as the mini-moon, will travel around Earth from 29 September to 25 November.
