Planet Earth is saying goodbye to its temporary companion, a \"mini moon\" asteroid that has been tagging along for the past two months. This harmless space rock, officially known as 2024 PT5, will peel away from our planet on Monday as the sun's gravity takes over. But don’t worry, it’s just a temporary farewell—expect a closer visit in January! 🛰️🌍
NASA is gearing up to observe the 10-meter asteroid using a radar antenna in January. This observation will help scientists better understand 2024 PT5, which might actually be a chunk of our very own moon, possibly blasted off by a massive impact event long ago. While NASA clarifies that 2024 PT5 isn't technically a moon since it was never fully captured by Earth's gravity, it's still a fascinating object worthy of study.
Identifying the asteroid's unique \"mini moon behavior\" are brothers Raul and Carlos de la Fuente Marcos from the Complutense University of Madrid. They've been collaborating with telescopes in the Canary Islands, conducting hundreds of observations to track its journey. Currently, the asteroid is more than 3.5 million kilometers away, too small and faint to see without a powerful telescope. In January, it will pass as close as 1.8 million kilometers to Earth before zooming back out into the solar system, not returning until 2055—almost five times farther than our moon! 🌙🚀
First spotted in August, 2024 PT5 began its semi jog around Earth in late September, following a horseshoe-shaped path due to Earth's gravitational pull. By the time it swings by next year, it will be moving more than double its speed from September, making it impossible to stay nearby, explained Raul de la Fuente Marcos.
NASA will keep a close eye on the asteroid for over a week in January using the Goldstone solar system radar antenna in California's Mojave Desert, part of the Deep Space Network. Current data suggests that during its 2055 visit, the sun-circling asteroid will once again make a temporary and partial lap around Earth. 🌌🔭
