Comment on Earth is about to get a 2nd moon for 57 days only. Here's what you need to know.

Earth is about to get a 2nd moon for 57 days only. Here's what you need to know.

Earth is about to briefly capture a bus-sized asteroid.buradaki/Getty ImagesEarth is getting a second moon, a mini-moon asteroid called 2024 PT5, on September 29.This asteroid from the Arjuna asteroid belt will follow a horseshoe path around Earth for 57 days.Astrophotographers may capture images, but it's too faint for most amateur telescopes to see.Earth is about to pluck a second moon from an asteroid belt — but we only get this mini-moon for 57 days.It's an asteroid about the size of a school bus, at 35 feet long, and it has a typical, un-snazzy asteroid name: 2024 PT5.Earth is poised to pick up this hitchhiker from the nearby Arjuna asteroid belt on September 29.According to a paper published in the Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society this month, the 2024 PT5 asteroid will then be in the grasp of Earth's gravity, following a horseshoe-like path around our planet until November 25, when it will return to an orbit around the sun.NASA's profile of 2024 PT5.NASA Eyes on Asteroids"You may say that if a true satellite is like a customer buying goods inside a store, objects like 2024 PT5 are window shoppers," Carlos de la Fuente Marcos, the paper's lead author, told Space.com.The asteroid poses no threat to Earth.You'll probably only see the mini-moon in photosThis mini-moon is nothing like our real moon.

 

Comment On This Story

Welcome to Wopular!

Welcome to Wopular

Wopular is an online newspaper rack, giving you a summary view of the top headlines from the top news sites.

Senh Duong (Founder)
Wopular, MWB, RottenTomatoes

Subscribe to Wopular's RSS Fan Wopular on Facebook Follow Wopular on Twitter Follow Wopular on Google Plus

MoviesWithButter : Our Sister Site

More Business News