People have the last chance to see the "second moon" as the next one will appear only in 2055: when and how to catch it
Earthlings have one last chance to see the asteroid 2024 PT5, which has been called the "second moon" of the Earth for two months. The space rock will soon disappear from the sky and will not return until 2055.
The Earth's gravitational field will "let go" of the asteroid on November 25. However, it is difficult to see this space rock, which is about the length of a small bus, because such objects are very weak, and only the light they reflect can be seen, TheSun writes.
The "second moon" was first spotted by NASA's asteroid alert system on August 7 this year. However, the agency immediately noted that it "does not pose a hazard to Earth."
The space object is one of many “mini moons” that have been discovered.
Source: University of Hawaii/IAU Minor Planet Center
According to NASA, the space object is approximately 10 meters wide. That is, this asteroid is tiny compared to the Moon, so it is difficult to spot in the sky.
"These objects are very faint and we can only see them by the light they reflect. It’s possible that an asteroid of the size of a dishwasher is orbiting our planet at any given time and we don’t even notice it," said Barbara Castanheira Endl, an assistant professor of physics at Baylor University in Texas.
According to the scientists, the "second moon" should leave the Earth's orbit on Monday, November 25, at about 16.40 (for those who will be watching from the European continent).
NASA reported that asteroid 2024 PT5 will fly close to Earth before breaking apart again.
Source: NASA Planetary Defense
The asteroid is known to have previously appeared near Earth as a "mini moon" back in the 1960s. And it will return again in 2055.
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