Earth to get temporary ‘mini moon’ tonight: Will it be visible from India?

Earth is about to get a temporary companion — a “mini moon”. It will be briefly caught by Earth’s gravity as it passes by on Sunday, orbiting the planet for around two months before moving on.

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What actually is this ‘mini moon’?

• This is a small asteroid, about 10 metres in size, roughly the size of a bus.

• Named Asteroid 2024 PT5, it was first detected in August by astronomers at Spain’s Complutense University, will orbit Earth as a “mini moon”.

• The discovery by Carlos de la Fuente Marcos and Raúl de la Fuente Marcos was published by the American Astronomical Society.

• The asteroid will circle the planet for around 57 days but won’t complete a full orbit before moving on.

• It is expected to leave Earth’s gravity on November 25 and will pass by again in 2055.

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Can we see ‘mini moon’ from India?

No, this mini moon won’t be visible to the naked eye or through amateur telescopes from any part of Earth. However, “it can be observed with relatively large, research-grade telescopes,” said astronomer Carlos de la Fuente Marcos.

Are mini moons rare?

According to Richard Binzel, an astronomer at MIT, they are likely more common than we realise. The last known mini moon was detected in 2020.

“This happens with some frequency, but we rarely see them because they’re very small and very hard to detect,” he said. “Only recently has our survey capability reached the point of spotting them routinely.”

Where did this mini moon come from?

Astronomer Richard Binzel said it’s unclear whether the space rock is an asteroid or “a chunk of the moon that got blasted out.”

(Inputs from AP)