Earth now has two moons thanks to a small asteroid that got captured by our planet's gravity. Known as 2024 PT5, it entered the orbit around Earth on September 29-30 and will linger around until late November.

The asteroid is being referred to as a 'mini moon' since it is just 33 feet (10 meters) wide. According to estimates, it will escape Earth's influence without completing one orbit by November 25 and continue on its journey through space.

The asteroid was first discovered on August 7, 2024, by the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS). Scientists say it originated from the Arjuna asteroid belt, a region of space rocks that have orbits similar to Earth's.

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To qualify as a mini-moon, an asteroid must be relatively close to Earth, within 4.5 million kilometers, and travel at a relatively slow speed - around 3,540 kilometers per hour. While this small asteroid is too dim and tiny to be seen without a powerful telescope, astronomers are hoping to capture images of it using advanced telescopes.

Unfortunately, you will not be able to spot the asteroid unless you have a powerful telescope and means to locate and track it. The 'mini moon' is too small and dim to be visible to the unaided eye. Even an amateur telescope won't be of much help. Hopefully we will be treated with pictures from agencies that will use advanced telescopes for observation purposes.

The RH120 asteroid was one of the first well-documented mini moons which was captured by Earth and orbited our planet for roughly nine months between 2006 and 2007.

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(Image: ESA)