Earth is about to gain a temporary second moon, but it won’t be anything like the moon that lights up our night sky. Instead, this new moon will be a small asteroid that will be captured by Earth’s gravity and become a mini-moon for a short period of time.
A temporary moon, or mini-moon, is a small celestial body that is temporarily captured by a planet’s gravity. Unlike our permanent moon, which has been orbiting Earth for billions of years, mini-moons are transient visitors. They typically enter Earth’s orbit for a few months to a few years before either being flung back into space or burning up in the atmosphere.
The upcoming mini-moon is an asteroid designated as 2024 XX. It was discovered by astronomers who monitor near-Earth objects (NEOs). These are asteroids and comets that come close to Earth’s orbit and sometimes intersect it. The asteroid is relatively small, measuring between 5 to 10 meters in diameter. This size is comparable to a large car or a small bus.
2024 XX was spotted by a network of telescopes that scan the sky for potential hazardous asteroids. These telescopes are part of various space agencies’ efforts to track and study NEOs to understand their trajectories and potential risks to Earth. Once identified, astronomers calculated its orbit and predicted that it would be temporarily captured by Earth’s gravity.
Unfortunately, unlike our permanent moon, the new mini-moon will not be easily visible to the naked eye. Due to its small size and relatively dark surface, it will be challenging to spot even with a telescope. Only powerful observatories and radar systems will be able to track its movements accurately.
As for its impact, the mini-moon poses no threat to Earth. Its small size means that even if it were to enter Earth’s atmosphere, it would likely burn up completely before reaching the ground. Instead, its presence offers a unique opportunity for scientists to study a captured asteroid up close.
The arrival of 2024 XX provides a valuable scientific opportunity. Studying mini-moons can help astronomers learn more about the population of small asteroids near Earth. It also allows them to observe how these objects interact with Earth’s gravity and atmosphere. This knowledge is crucial for developing strategies to protect Earth from potential asteroid impacts in the future.
This is not the first time Earth has captured a mini-moon. In 2006, an asteroid known as 2006 RH120 was temporarily captured by Earth’s gravity and orbited our planet for about a year before escaping back into space. Another example is 2020 CD3, which was discovered in 2020 and orbited Earth for about three years before leaving the Earth’s orbit.
While the capture of mini-moons is a rare event, it is expected to happen more frequently as astronomers improve their detection capabilities. Advances in telescope technology and observation techniques mean that scientists are now able to discover and track smaller objects that were previously undetectable.
Earth’s temporary second moon, 2024 XX, is an intriguing astronomical event. Although it won’t be visible to the general public, its capture offers valuable scientific insights. The study of such mini-moons helps scientists understand the behavior of small asteroids and refine techniques for tracking and potentially mitigating asteroid threats in the future. As our observation capabilities continue to improve, we can expect to discover more of these transient visitors, each providing a unique opportunity to learn more about our cosmic neighborhood.
