NASA scientists first spotted the asteroid 2024 PT5 on August 7 using the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System, unfolding its path towards Earth's orbit.
The asteroid 2024 PT5 is a tiny body measuring only 32 feet in length, compared to Earth’s much larger moon, which has a diameter of approximately 3,474 km.
Earth's gravity can attract nearby asteroids, like 2024 PT5 from the Arjuna asteroid belt, allowing them to orbit our planet momentarily before escaping.
This isn't the first time we've had a mini-moon; an asteroid named 2022 NX1 entered Earth's orbit in 1981, demonstrating this phenomenon isn’t rare.
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