09/24/2024

An Asteroid Will Soon Enter Earth's Orbit as a Temporary 'Mini-moon'

The asteroid is expected to spend about two months orbiting the planet

Earth is set to play host to a visiting “mini-moon.”

An asteroid is expected to swing by Earth next week, then spend about two months orbiting the planet as it gets temporarily caught by Earth’s gravity, according to two astronomers in Spain who reported the discovery.

The asteroid, dubbed 2024 PT5, is 33 feet long — roughly equivalent to a standard school bus. The space rock does not pose a threat to Earth, and it is not expected to stick around for long before it swings back out into space on a path around the sun.

Please select this link to read the complete article from NBC News.