NASA scientists calculated that Earth should have captured a "second moon" on Sunday (Sept. 29). The "mini-moon" is actually the tiny asteroid 2024 PT5, which usually orbits the sun as part of a small asteroid belt that follows Earth.
While Earth's primary companion, the moon, has lingered around our planet for around 4 billion years since its formation in the solar system's infancy, this asteroid will be a temporary fixture that won't even see the year out.
Though the idea of Earth getting a second moon sounds extraordinary, these gravitational capture events are actually quite common.
Source: www.space.com
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