Important Takeaways:
- The small asteroid was discovered on Aug. 7 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), a NASA-funded program.
- Now named asteroid 2024 PT5, it will be captured in Earth’s gravitational pull between Sept. 29 and Nov. 25.
- After that, it will escape Earth’s orbit and be pulled toward the sun before continuing its travels around our solar system.
- During its 56-day orbit, Asteroid 2024 PT5 will travel in a horseshoe-shaped trajectory before leaving Earth’s gravity.
- It’s unlikely we can catch a glimpse of the passing mini-moon as it enters Earth’s gravity. The NASA JPL Small-Body Database states that 2024 PT5 won’t be visible to most amateur telescopes due to its extremely low absolute magnitude of 22, which is too dim even for backyard binoculars or telescopes.
- Researchers think 2024 PT5 came from the Arjuna asteroid belt, which is a group of small asteroids that follow dynamically cold, Earth-like orbits, according to Astronomy & Astrophysics.
- Compared to Earth’s moon, which has a diameter of 2,159 miles, asteroid 2024 PT5 is just a tiny spec measuring at about 33 feet wide.
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