The mini-moon that orbited the Earth for nearly two months could be a piece of our Moon

The “mini-moon”, which orbited planet Earth from September 29 to November 25, is moving away. However, it will return in 2025.

This small moon, just 10 meters in diameter, called 2024 PT5, made a horseshoe-shaped circuit around the Earth for almost two months. Overcome by the stronger attraction of the Sun’s gravity, it gradually detaches itself from our blue planet, as reported Associated Press.

It will approach Earth again in January 2025

According to calculations by researchers at Complutense University in Madrid (Spain) who discovered the asteroid last August, this mini-moon was to orbit our planet Earth from September 29 to November 25, making only one orbit during this period, as reported on the site Gizmodo.

Although it has now left Earth’s gravity, the asteroid should nevertheless approach Earth again in January 2025 for a “brief visit”, our colleagues point out. This rare phenomenon will also occur again in 2055.

An “interesting object” according to NASA

Since this asteroid was never fully captured by Earth’s gravity and is not entirely in orbit around Earth, it cannot be called a Moon. According to scientists, 2024 PT5 could be a rock from our Moon. This would have broken away after being hit by another asteroid.

In any case, NASA considers it an “interesting object” and it will be able to observe it on its upcoming return, in particular by using a powerful radar antenna. It goes without saying that such a small asteroid cannot be observed with the naked eye.

If at the moment it is more than 3.5 million kilometers from our planet, when it returns in January, it will only be 1.8 million kilometers from us. On the other hand, it will move at twice the speed and will again rotate temporarily and partially around the Earth.