The Earth will soon have a new moon, practically invisible even with the most modern telescopes, with its 10 metres in diameter, but for just under two months, it will all be real: this is confirmed by a study led by Carlos de la Fuente Marcos, from the Complutense University of Madrid, and published in the journal Research Notes.
The protagonist of this incredible story is asteroid 2024 PT5, which is approaching Earth.
The asteroid will be captured for a short period by our planet's gravity before being flung away (without causing damage to Earth).
According to calculations, it is expected to enter Earth's orbit at the end of September and the new mini-moon will remain in orbit for 53 days, until mid-November.
As often happens in these cases, researchers first had to ascertain that the mysterious object was not, given its small size, a satellite or space debris, among the many that orbit uncontrolled around the Earth. In short, two moons for one Earth, but the offer expires very soon!
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