Key Points
This celestial visitor, dubbed a "mini-moon," was first detected on August 7 by Nasa's Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS)...
Asteroid 2024 PT5, measuring approximately 33 feet (10 meters) wide, has been captured by Earth's gravity and will orbit our planet for about two months, till November 25, 2024...
Originating from the Arjuna asteroid belt, a collection of space rocks that share similar orbits with Earth, 2024 PT5 will not complete a full revolution around our planet...
Tracking such fast-moving objects requires precision, making it difficult with basic telescopes alone.. NAKED EYES: It is impossible to spot the asteroid with the naked eye given the small size of the space rock that has been pulled by the planet's gravity...
For those who miss this celestial event, there's good news: 2024 PT5 is expected to return to Earth's orbit in 2055, providing another opportunity for astronomers to study this intriguing space rock and further our understanding of near-Earth objects...
