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Laura Nicole Driessen, Postdoctoral researcher in radio astronomy, University of Sydney

Earth is getting a tiny new mini-moon. It won’t be the first (or the last)

The minimoon 2020 CD3 orbited Earth between 2018 and 2020. International Gemini Observatory/NOIRLab/NSF/AURA/G. Fedorets, CC BY

Earth is going to have its very own mini-moon from September 29 until November 25. The regular Moon’s new, temporary friend is 2024 PT₅, an asteroid captured from the Arjuna asteroid group (called the “Arjunas”).

Our new mini-moon is approximately 10 metres in diameter and will be captured by Earth’s gravity for 57 days. It’s small and faint, so it won’t be visible by the eye or with small telescopes, but will be visible to larger telescopes.

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