Temporary Moon of Earth: Asteroid 2024 PT5

On September 29, asteroid 2024 PT5 ⁤will temporarily become another moon of Earth, influenced by our planet’s gravity.

However, 2024 ⁤PT5 is relatively small, measuring only 10 meters ⁣in width, and has a magnitude of 22, making it less bright than the full Moon, which has⁢ a magnitude of -12.7.

This​ temporary ​moon will not be visible to the naked eye, nor will it affect the changing night ⁢sky on Earth in any way.

Discovery and‌ Orbit

2024 PT5 ​was discovered ⁢on August 7, 2024, by ‌the NASA-supported ⁤Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope. It is believed to be ‌an Arjuna asteroid with a near-solar orbit.

During its⁤ 56 days as Earth’s temporary lunar state, 2024 PT5 will enter ‍a horseshoe⁢ orbit, which is unstable and temporary. It will ⁣be approximately 3.4 to 4 million kilometers away from Earth, with a velocity relative⁣ to Earth ⁤of between 7 and 1,577 kilometers ⁣per hour.

Future Approaches

After⁤ temporarily leaving ⁢Earth’s ⁢moon status,⁣ asteroid 2024 PT5 is expected to approach Earth again on January 9,‍ 2025, at a distance‍ of⁢ about 1,800,000 kilometers, and⁣ again on ⁣November 8, 2055.

Temporary Moons ​of Earth

Astronomers have ⁤already ‍discovered temporary moons of Earth, such as the⁣ asteroids ​2006 RH120, 2020 CD3, and 2022 NX1, which were dragged into‌ temporary satellites ‌by ‌Earth’s gravity in ‍a horseshoe orbit for a short time before falling back into orbit around⁤ the Sun later.

Moons in ⁣the Solar System

Saturn currently has the most ⁢moons ⁢in the solar system, ‌with 146 confirmed moons, followed by Jupiter with 95 moons. ‌Earth’s only natural moon is in a stable long-term orbit, despite‍ receding from Earth​ by about 3.8⁤ centimeters per year.

Discovery⁤ Publication

The discovery of asteroid 2024 PT5 by ⁣Carlos de la Fuente Marcos and Raúl⁤ de la Fuente Marcos was published in the September 2024 issue of the American Astronomical Society ‍Research Journal.