In a remarkable advancement in astronomy, researchers have announced the confirmation of a second moon orbiting Earth. This newly recognized celestial body, designated as asteroid 2024 PT5, was drawn into Earth's gravitational pull on September 29, 2024. This announcement has generated considerable enthusiasm among scientists and presents fresh avenues for the exploration of near-Earth objects.
The event was first detected by astronomers from the Complutense University of Madrid utilizing a sophisticated telescope located in Sutherland, South Africa. The tiny asteroid, measuring only 37 feet wide, has been temporarily captured by Earth’s gravitational pull, transforming it into a mini-moon.
Richard Binzel, an astronomer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), explains, “These happen with some frequency, but we rarely see them because they’re very small and very hard to detect. Only recently has our survey capability reached the point of spotting them routinely.”
While Earth’s primary moon boasts a diameter of 2,159 miles, 2024 PT5 is comparatively minuscule. To put it in pperspective Earth’s moon is over 300,000 times wider
Even with its modest dimensions, this temporary satellite delivers important information about our cosmic environment and the interactions of near-Earth objects.
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