A distant asteroid, called 2024 PT5, has recently been caught by Earth, so it is now set to make a partial orbit around the planet in the coming months. This fascinating event allows the asteroid to act like a temporary "mini-moon."
The capture happened on Sept. 29, 2024, around 4 pm. At first, scientists thought the asteroid would be visible only until Nov. 25, 2024, but NASA has updated this information, now saying that 2024 PT5 will be seen until January 2025.
Earth's Temporary 'Mini-Moon'
This 33-foot-wide asteroid will follow a unique path, partially rotating around Earth before returning to its original orbit around the sun. At first, the asteroid will be about nine times farther away from Earth than the moon.
As it travels along its path, it will come closer to our planet. NASA has assured everyone that 2024 PT5 poses no threat to Earth and will keep an eye on the asteroid as it travels and after it leaves our area.
Earth has welcomed temporary mini-moons before, including one in 1981 and another in 2022. The movements of 2024 PT5, similar to Earth's motion around the sun, have captured the attention of astronomers. The team that discovered 2024 PT5 is hopeful that it will come back to the Earth's area in 2055.
The University of Hawaii's Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) first discovered the asteroid on Aug. 7, 2024. ATLAS is a system funded by NASA that uses four telescopes in Hawaii, Chile and South Africa to watch the sky several times at night and send alerts if they see any potential threats to Earth.
Jonathan Brande, a third-year doctoral student studying physics and astronomy, explains that 2024 PT5 is very faint, which means it cannot be seen by the naked eye. The brightness of celestial objects is measured using a system called "magnitude." In this system, lower numbers mean brighter objects. While most stars can be seen without help, 2024 PT5 will have a brightness level ranging from 19 to 23, making it hard for most amateur astronomers to see.
Brande mentioned that many consumer-grade telescopes will not be able to detect the mini-moon, and not all observatories have the right equipment to see it. Unfortunately, the campus where he studies doesn't have an observatory capable of observing the asteroid.
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Where to Observe 2024 PT5
For those who want to see the asteroid, visiting a nearby observatory with professional equipment is necessary. One option is the Farpoint Observatory, located about an hour from Lawrence, Kansas, in Wabaunsee County. Farpoint specializes in observing and discovering asteroids and hosts public astronomy nights on the first Saturday of every month.
Gary Hug, the main investigator for the Farpoint asteroid search team (FAST), has said that 2024 PT5 is expected to be visible from mid-December 2024 to mid-January 2025.
According to Kansan, the best time to observe it might be between Christmas and New Year's or during the week after New Year's Day. Observers will need special cameras and telescopes to take pictures of the asteroid, which requires several minutes of exposure time.
For those interested in astronomy before Christmas, the physics and astronomy department will host telescope observations and planetarium shows starting on Oct. 10, 2024. These events will offer students a chance to engage in planet observations, though they won't focus on asteroids.
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