Earth and its new “mini moon”: what you need to know about this unusual phenomenon

In recent days, a fascinating piece of news has emerged that has captured the attention of the scientific community: the Earth will have a second “moon” for a short period. This unusual phenomenon has generated excitement and curiosity among astronomers and reminds us that the cosmos always has new wonders to offer.

This “mini-moon,” as it has been called, is not actually a natural satellite. like our usual Moon, but an asteroid that will be temporarily trapped by Earth’s gravity. This type of event is not totally unknown, but it remains a rare and exciting occurrence for astronomy.

For approximately two months, this asteroid will orbit our planet before continuing its path back into deep space.

What exactly is this “mini moon”?

The object that will be orbiting the Earth during this time It is an asteroid called 2024 PT5recently discovered by the Asteroid-Terrestrial-Impact Alert System (ATLAS). With a relatively small size of just 10 meters in diameter, this asteroid will be temporarily captured by the Earth’s gravitational field.

While it’s not uncommon for small asteroids to pass close to our planet, what makes 2024 PT5 special is that it will be trapped in Earth’s orbit for 56 days.

This asteroid will begin orbiting the Earth from September 29 and will continue to do so until November 25th. Once this period has been completed, the asteroid will resume its original trajectory around the Sun, moving away from the Earth. This type of phenomenon occurs due to the complex gravitational interactions between the Earth, the asteroid and other celestial bodies.

While the discovery of this new mini-moon has excited NASA and scientists around the world, it is not the first time that Earth has temporarily acquired a “second moon.”

However, What makes 2024 PT5 remarkable is its foreseeable return in the coming yearsAccording to astronomers’ calculations, this asteroid will pass close to Earth again in the future, and could once again be trapped in a temporary orbit around our planet in January 2025, making it a recurring visitor.

Will we be able to see this new “moon”?

One of the questions that naturally arises in the face of this phenomenon is whether we will be able to observe this new mini-moon from Earth. Unfortunately, Due to its small size and the distance at which it will be found, it will not be visible to the naked eye..

In fact, only the most advanced telescopes and professional astronomers will be able to closely follow the movement of 2024 PT5 as it orbits our planet.

While this may be a disappointment for those hoping to observe this phenomenon from home, it is still an exciting opportunity for scientists. Every time an object like this passes close to Earth, astronomers can study its composition, its orbit, and how it interacts with Earth’s gravity.

The presence of 2024 PT5 It does not represent any danger to our planetbut it is a reminder that we are in a dynamic solar system full of unexpected movements. In fact, astronomers are already looking ahead, when Earth is expected to have a minimoon again around 2051.

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Tags: Moon