Moon, move over! At the end of September, the Earth will temporarily have a second satellite

Scientists reported that from 29 September to 25 November in the orbit of the Earth will appear another satellite. It will be an asteroid, which received the designation 2024 PT5.

Here's What We Know

In the scientific journal Research Notes of the AAS (print edition) published the results of the study, according to which a small asteroid is approaching our planet - its diameter is only 10 metres.

About the existence of asteroid 2024 PT5 scientists learned on 7 August 2024. According to calculations, the stone will get into the zone of gravity of the Earth on 29 September and 53 days will remain in its orbit. During this time it will have time to make only one revolution around the planet, after which it will leave the zone of its influence and go travelling through space further.

Unfortunately, the size and brightness of the space rock will not allow it to be observed with home telescopes.

Amateur astronomer Tony Dunn published a simulation of the movement of asteroid 2024 PT5 around the Earth in the coming months.

Newly-discovered #asteroid 2024 PT5 is about to undergo a "mini-moon event" when its geocentric energy becomes negative from September 29 - November 25.https://t.co/sAo1qSRu3J pic.twitter.com/pVYAmSbkCF

- Tony Dunn (@tony873004) September 10, 2024

Fortunately, asteroid 2024 PT5 does not pose a threat to Earth. And the event itself is not unique: periodically such objects enter the orbit of our planet, and then either leave it or burn up in its atmosphere.

Source: Gizmodo