Earth to get second ‘mini-moon’: Here’s what you need to know – Times of India
Earth is set to gain a new mini-moon for a brief period, starting later this month. The small asteroid, identified as 2024 PT5, will be temporarily captured by Earth's gravity from September 29 until November 25, according to a study published by researchers Carlos de la Fuente Marcos and Raúl de la Fuente Marcos from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid.The asteroid, which was discovered as part of the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System, is about 10 meters across. The researchers calculated that its size, speed, and trajectory will allow it to be captured by Earth's gravitational field for 53 days. During this time, it will orbit Earth before continuing its journey through the solar system."2024 PT5 will circle the Earth one time before it escapes back into space," the researc...