“How to Observe the New Moon of Earth Starting September 29”
Introduction of the Celestial Guest
From September 29 to November 25, 2024, Earth will host a temporary celestial guest: a small asteroid, known as 2024 PT5, measuring approximately 10 meters in diameter.
Unfortunately, this “mini-moon” will not be visible to the naked eye.
While such events are not uncommon—historically, small asteroids have been captured by Earth’s gravity—this particular case has unique characteristics worth noting.
Arrival and Features of 2024 PT5
The discovery of 2024 PT5 was made by Spanish astronomers Carlos and Raúl de la Fuente Marcos using the telescopes of the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System in South Africa.
This mini-moon will be captured in Earth’s gravitational field for about two months, but observing it will be extremely challenging due to its small size and the significant distance from Earth, which exceeds millions of kilometers.
With a diameter just over 10 meters, 2024 PT5 will exhibit very low brightness, with an apparent magnitude of 27.6.
To put this into perspective, this brightness is approximately 250 million times fainter than the dimmest star visible to the naked eye.
The asteroid was discovered on August 7, 2024, just prior to a close approach of 560,000 km from Earth.
It will follow a horseshoe orbit, gaining sufficient velocity to escape Earth’s pull after 56 days.
Asteroid Movement Dynamics
As mentioned earlier, the capture of small asteroids by Earth’s gravity is not an isolated incident.
Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) are frequently pulled into orbit and serve as temporary mini-moons.
Notable past instances include the asteroid 2006 RH120 during 2006-2007 and mini-moon 2022 NX1 observed in 1981 and 2022.
Consequently, 2024 PT5 exemplifies this fascinating dynamic.
The asteroid will transit near Earth at an astronomically low speed of approximately 1600 km/h, about 3.5 million kilometers from our planet.
This slow approach allows it to remain captured in Earth’s gravitational field, a phenomenon known as negative geocentric energy.
The next significant approach will occur on January 9, 2025, when it will pass approximately 1.8 million km away at a speed of about 3700 km/h, sufficient to avoid remaining in orbit around Earth.
The Scientific Significance of Mini-Moons
Mini-moons like 2024 PT5 are of great scientific interest, as they may contain precious metals, paving the way for future space mining missions.
This asteroid was identified through a collaborative project between NASA and the University of Hawaii, focusing on monitoring near-Earth objects.
By employing rapidly captured images, scientists can track the positions of these celestial bodies and reconstruct their orbits, albeit with some uncertainty due to their small sizes.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while 2024 PT5 will not be visible to the naked eye, its presence presents an exciting opportunity to explore objects orbiting our planet and to gain a deeper understanding of our solar system’s dynamics.
