Earth has said farewell to its temporary visitor, an asteroid referred to as a ‘mini moon,’ following a two-month stay. Beginning today, November 25, asteroid 2024 PT5, which was initially detected by NASA in August of this year, will gradually drift away from Earth, succumbing to the stronger gravitational influence of the Sun. Despite being located a mere 3.5 million kilometers from our planet, the mini moon remained invisible to the naked eye due to its diminutive size and low luminosity. While this departure may evoke a sense of loss among space enthusiasts, scientists have indicated that the mini moon is expected to return in January. NASA intends to utilize a radar antenna to study the asteroid during its close approach, which will bring it within approximately 1.8 million kilometers of Earth. This radar, situated in the Mojave Desert, will gather information regarding the asteroid’s dimensions, shape, and composition. Following this close yet safe flyby, the asteroid will continue its journey through the solar system, not returning near Earth until 2055. Asteroid 2024 PT5, first identified by NASA’s Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), measures around 33 feet in width and is part of the Arjuna asteroid belt, a secondary belt of space rocks that maintain orbits closely resembling that of Earth, averaging about 150 million kilometers from the Sun. Typically, mini-moon events can occur in two distinct manners: in the first scenario, an asteroid may complete one or more orbits around Earth, with the engagement lasting for years; in the second scenario, brief encounters are noted where a smaller asteroid, like 2024 PT5, does not complete a full orbit, with these temporary captures lasting anywhere from days to months.
