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Asteroid Arjuna, named "2024 PT5," will temporarily circle the Earth as a "mini moon" For almost two months, starting from September 29.
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According to a study published in Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, this celestial event will see the tiny asteroid briefly join Earth’s orbit before returning to its normal orbit around the Sun.
The asteroid was first detected on August 7 this year by the Asteroid Land Impact Recent Alert System (ATLAS) in Sutherland, South Africa, during a routine observation.
Mini-moon events are associated with asteroids temporarily orbiting Earth, and can last from a few days to a few years, depending on their orbit. Previous occurrences of such short-lived mini-moons already occurred in 1981 and 2022.
While the asteroid won’t complete a full revolution around Earth, it offers astronomers a rare opportunity to study temporary companions like these.
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source link https://guwahatiplus.com/international/why-will-earth-get-a-temporary-new-mini-moon-for-two-months
