The asteroid was discovered on August 7 (Representational)
The temporary mini-moon of Earth, known as 2024 PT5, will not be visible to the naked eye, according to Dr AK Anil Kumar, head of ISRO’s Network for Space Objects Tracking and Analysis (NETRA). This mini-moon, which is just 10 meters in diameter, will orbit the Earth for 53 days starting September 29. Despite its close proximity, it will not collide with Earth and will eventually break away from Earth’s gravitational pull on November 25, heading back into the solar system.
Discovered on August 7 by NASA-funded ATLAS, 2024 PT5 has a unique connection to the Hindu epic Mahabharata. Astronomers have noted that its orbital properties resemble those of asteroids from the Arjuna asteroid belt, a special group named after the character Arjuna from the Mahabharata. This group of asteroids moves swiftly through the solar system, much like Arjuna’s arrows in battle.
The Arjuna asteroid grouping was officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union in 1991, inspired by the character’s bravery, archery skills, and wisdom in Hindu mythology. The asteroid’s unpredictable nature mirrors Arjuna’s swift actions in the epic.
According to astronomers Carlos de la Fuente Marcos and Raul de la Fuente Marcos, mini-moon events like 2024 PT5’s have occurred before in 1997, 2013, and 2018. These near-Earth objects follow horseshoe paths and may approach our planet closely, undergoing temporary mini-moon events before continuing their journey through space.
