Did you hear? 🌠 Earth's got a cosmic companion, and it's not just any space rock. For the past two months, we've been sharing our orbit with a \"mini moon\" named 2024 PT5, and there's a chance it might be a lost piece of our own Moon! 🌙
But all good things must come to an end. This Monday, our mini moon is saying adiós as the Sun's gravity pulls it away on its solo journey through the cosmos. Don't worry, though—it'll swing by for a quick hello in January! 🙌
So, what's the deal with this celestial visitor? Discovered in August, 2024 PT5 is a 10-meter asteroid that started dancing around Earth in late September. Scientists think it might be a boulder blasted off the Moon by an ancient impact—that's like finding a long-lost lunar sibling! 🤯
Next January, NASA's gearing up to get up close and personal with this space rock using a radar antenna in California's Mojave Desert. They're hoping to learn more about 2024 PT5 and maybe uncover secrets about our own Moon's past. Science is so cool, right? 🔭
During its visit, 2024 PT5 will come within 1.8 million kilometers of Earth—that's about five times the distance to the Moon. Close, but not too close! After that, it'll head off into the solar system, not to return until 2055. Mark your calendars! 📅
The astrophysicist brothers Raul and Carlos de la Fuente Marcos from Complutense University of Madrid have been all over this mini moon's journey. With the help of telescopes in the Canary Islands, they've made hundreds of observations. Talk about dedication! 👏
So, keep your eyes on the skies—or at least on your favorite space news—because our \"mini moon\" is a stellar reminder of how amazing our universe really is. Who knows what other cosmic surprises await us out there? 🚀✨
Reference(s):
Earth's 'mini moon' may have been a chunk of our actual moon
cgtn.com
