2024 PT5 will make a horseshoe-type orbit around the Earth. The study dubbed it a "temporarily captured flyby," meaning this mini-moon is not expected to complete a full revolution around Earth.
It sounds like something out of a science-fiction movie. For the past couple of weeks, Earth's orbit has been home to a "mini-moon" the size of a city bus. The celestial object is more than just a ...
Scientists first caught sight of the mini-moon while observing an asteroid named Polymele, near the outskirts of the solar system. NASA says that the asteroid is around 17 miles along its widest axis.
This month's full moon will also be a supermoon: When the moon’s orbit brings it closer to Earth than usual, the cosmic combo is called a supermoon. A supermoon occurs when the moon’s orbit ...