ASTRONOMY
That’s No Moon! Or Is It?
Asteroid 2024 PT5 will be a moon for a moment
It is true! Well, kind of. Our planet will gain another object in our orbit for 53 days over the next few weeks, from September 29th to November 25th. The small asteroid called 2024 PT5 will slip into our earth's gravitational pull for a brief period of time.
This asteroid is incredibly small, measuring 10 meters or about 33 feet wide, and was only recently discovered this past August. The idea that it will be a new moon is yet to be seen, but for now, it is something new and exciting to keep an eye out for.
Events like this do not happen often, but they do happen. The last few times were back in 2006 and also 2018. That asteroid stayed in our orbit for several years and left in 2020.
The fascinating thing about 2024 PT5 is that it probably originated from the asteroid belt known as Arjuna. This group of asteroids shares a similar orbit around the sun with Earth.
Will we be able to see this “new moon”? Unfortunately, no, it is too small and just not bright enough for us to observe. However, there will be lots of…
