Move Over, Moon—We’ve Got a Temporary Cosmic Guest!
Earth is about to get a quirky celestial roommate! A school bus-sized asteroid dubbed 2024 PT5 will zip into our planet’s gravitational pull this Sunday, becoming a temporary ‘mini moon’ for nearly two months. Think of it as Earth’s latest short-term subletter 🪐.
Discovered in August by Spanish astronomers Carlos and Raul de la Fuente Marcos using a telescope in South Africa, 2024 PT5 measures just 33 feet (10 meters) wide. While it won’t crash into Earth—phew!—it will perform a cosmic dance around us until November 25 before jetting back into deep space. MIT astronomer Richard Binzel calls these mini moons ‘celestial cameos,’ explaining they’ve likely been happening for ages, but only recent tech makes spotting them possible 🔭.
Why You Won’t Spot It (But Scientists Are Hyped)
Bad news for stargazers: this space rock is too dim for naked eyes or amateur telescopes. ‘You’d need a research-grade setup,’ Carlos de la Fuente Marcos told us via email. But here’s the kicker: Is it an asteroid or moon debris? Binzel says we might never know. Either way, it’s a rare chance to study a ‘visitor’ up close.
‘These mini moons are like surprise pop quizzes from the universe—we learn something new every time,’ Binzel quipped.
Mark your calendars: 2024 PT5 is set for a nostalgic flyby in 2055. Until then, let’s enjoy Earth’s brief cosmic duet! 🌠
