Starting on Sept. 29, Earth will be accompanied by a mini-moon for about two months. This second moon will actually be an asteroid named 2024 PT5, which will orbit our planet before returning to its home in the asteroid belt. Although this isn't a unique occurrence, it's not often that these mini-moons stick around for long.
We’re getting another moon. Sort of. Earth will have a second “mini-moon” in addition to its regular lunar companion for about two months starting on Sept. 29, according to a recent study published in the journal Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society.The second moon will actually be an Arjuna asteroid known as 2024 PT5, the study said. It will keep our main moon company until it returns home to an asteroid belt trailing our planet and the sun, scientists said.
RELATED STORY | New Mars study suggests an ocean's worth of water may be hiding beneath the red dusty surfaceThe team behind the new study specializes in mini-moon events and said this isn’t the first time this has happened. In fact, the study said it happens quite frequently, but the objects don’t typically hang around long.There have been two other notable mini-moon occurrences, one in 1981 and one in 2022, the study said.But if you’re hoping to see this mini-moon, good luck.Space.
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