It may sound out of this world, but the Earth will pick up a second mini-moon this month. But don’t get too attached to this celestial body, it is only sticking around for a couple of months.
It will revolve around the earth in a horseshoe-shaped orbit from September 29th until November 25th.
This new mini-moon is actually a small asteroid. Scientists with the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Alert System spotted the space rock and named it 2024 PT5. Once they tracked its path, they realized it will come close enough to the earth that it will enter our gravitation pull, much like the moon. And like the moon, it will orbit the Earth… but only for 56.6 days.
Once it leaves our orbit it will stay in the neighborhood and is even expected to make a return in 2055.
This go-around, 2024 PT5 will be too small to spot by amateur telescopes and binoculars, but professionals should be able to get a good look with their equipment.