Earth has received a small moon for about two and a half months. This will help to better understand its gravitational force. This moon is actually an asteroid, named 2024 PT5. It was discovered on August 7. Its diameter is about 10 meters. The asteroid has been orbiting the Earth since September 9 and will continue to do so for the next 77 days, i.e. till November 25.
However, this asteroid orbits the Earth like the Moon, hence the name Mini Moon. Due to its very low speed, this asteroid will not complete a single orbit around the Earth in the next two months.
This video explaining the path of the asteroid is being shared on social media…
Asteroids will return to the Sun's orbit due to Earth's gravity
After November 25, the 2024 PT5 asteroid will break free from Earth's gravity and return to orbit around the Sun. In fact, this asteroid has come close to Earth while orbiting the Sun. Due to this, it has started rotating around the earth after being pulled by the force of gravity. After November 25, it will move away from Earth and the effect of gravity on it will also end. Then it will return to the Sun's orbit.
Although many asteroids have orbited Earth, 2024 PT5 will be too faint to be seen with the naked eye or a telescope. It can only be seen from the Advanced Observatory at magnitude 22.
Will help scientists, give information about space
Federica Spoto, an asteroid researcher at Harvard and the Smithsonian, says the 2024 PT5 will provide information about asteroids in space, including those that occasionally collide with Earth.
Earlier in the year 1981 and 2022 also, Earth got a mini moon called 2022NX1.
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Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
