This fall, Earth will be graced with a second moon in the form of an asteroid about the size of a city bus. This temporary mini moon will be captured by Earth’s gravitational pull and orbit the planet from September 29 to November 25 before returning to its home in the Arjuna asteroid belt. This secondary asteroid belt consists of space rocks that have orbits similar to Earth’s, allowing for some asteroids to approach relatively close to our planet.
The asteroid was discovered on August 7 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (Atlas), and measures about 10 meters long. While too small for amateur telescopes, it will be visible to professional astronomers. This mini moon event marks the third time Earth has hosted such a phenomenon, with previous occurrences in 1981 and 2022.
Carlos de la Fuente Marcos, lead author of the research and professor at Universidad Complutense de Madrid, explained that the asteroid mini moon will not follow a full orbit around Earth but will stay for approximately two months. He also noted that the object will likely return to Earth’s orbit again in 2055.
This unique celestial event is sparking interest and excitement among astronomers and space enthusiasts alike. While the mini moon may be small in comparison to Earth’s main moon, its presence is a fascinating and rare occurrence that will provide valuable insights into the dynamics of space.
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