Earth’s Temporary New Moon
On September 29, 2024, the Earth received a new moon, however, it is not going to be permanent. This temporary moon is a small asteroid that comes from the Arjuna Asteroid Belt and it has been nicknamed 2024 PT5.
Unfortunately, due to its small size, 2024 PT5 cannot be seen by the naked human eye. That doesn’t mean that it can’t be spotted though. Using an astronomer telescope, PT5 can be seen as it goes along its one-way trip around the earth before being released into the solar system. Scientists report that it is expected to leave its orbit on November 25, 2024.
This new moon will not affect anything on Earth, and people can continue their lives knowing that this temporary new moon will not change too much of Earth’s ecosystem. This is not the first time this kind of event has occurred. Scientists have officially documented two other cases of asteroids being captured into Earth’s orbit as “temporary moons.” Scientists have also documented other cases of this event that have lasted for far longer, and some of these temporary new moons have lasted anywhere from a few weeks to a billion years.
To make things even more interesting, this kind of event on Earth occurs multiple times per decade for shorter mini-moon events, and longer mini-moon events happen once every 10-20 years, (CNN) so it is not anything new. Regardless of the frequency, many people agree then when it does happen, it is something to remember; whether it can be seen by the naked eye or not. This phenomenon of the Earth catching temporary moons throughout the years is certainly interesting, and it is guaranteed to happen again sometime in the future.
