A tiny asteroid nicknamed a “mini moon,” officially known as 2024 PT5, is drifting away from Earth after months of close visits.
This 10-meter-wide rock was first spotted in August 2024 and is believed to be a fragment of the Moon, possibly knocked loose by an ancient asteroid impact.
NASA’s Josh Handal explained that 2024 PT5’s movement closely matches Earth’s, which led scientists to suspect its lunar origin. Unlike our Moon, this mini moon didn’t fully orbit Earth but instead traveled in a horseshoe-shaped path around our planet. Recently, the Sun’s gravity started pulling it farther away.
The asteroid was discovered by NASA’s ATLAS system, a set of telescopes that watch for space rocks near Earth. It was never a threat because it stayed about two million miles away—much too far to see without special telescopes.
Astronomers predict 2024 PT5 will briefly return in January 2025, coming closer at one million miles away, before vanishing until 2055. For now, this little traveler continues its long journey through space.
That is so sad:(