KARACHI – A rare astronomical event is about to happen this fall when Earth will soon welcome a temporary ‘second moon’ as a small asteroid, named 2024 PT5 is poised to enter its orbit.
Asteroid dynamics experts Carlos and Raul Márquez from Complutense University of Madrid made the claims in their study about the asteroid which is around 10 meters in diameter, and was first discovered on August 7 by the Asteroid Terrestrial Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS).
The asteriod will be captured by Earth’s gravitational pull later this month, and people are already to observe this scene.
Carlos and Márquez shared a study, explaining that while Earth occasionally captures asteroids in its orbit, the approach of 2024 PT5 has generated interest due to its timing and proximity.
It said the asteroid will complete one full orbit around the Earth over span of 53 days before being flung back into space in sometime near middle of November. During its brief stay, it will be equated to second small moon, despite the fact that it will not be visible to naked eye.
For the unversed, the asteroid poses no threat of collision with Earth or any other object in space.
This is not the first time Earth temporarily gained a second moon as similar events occurred in past, with small asteroids getting caught in Earth’s gravitational pull before eventually escaping into space.
As Earth prepares for this rare occurrence, astronomers and skywatchers alike are eagerly following the asteroid’s journey.
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