September 25, 2024 • 8 mins
Discover the fascinating phenomenon of Earth's temporary second moon, asteroid 2024 PT5, set to orbit our planet for 57 days this fall. Learn about the science behind mini-moons, past occurrences, and their significance in understanding near-Earth objects. This episode also delves into the future of our permanent moon and the dynamic nature of our cosmic neighborhood. Perfect for space enthusiasts and curious minds alike!
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Unlock an ad-free podcast experience with Caloroga Shark Media! Get all our shows on any player you love, hassle free! For Apple users, hit the banner on your Apple podcasts app. For Spotify or other players, visit caloroga.com/plus. No plug-ins needed!
Subscribe now for exclusive shows like 'Palace Intrigue,' and get bonus content from Deep Crown (our exclusive Palace Insider!) Or get 'Daily Comedy News,' and '5 Good News Stories’ with no commercials! Plans start at $4.99 per month, or save 20% with a yearly plan at $49.99. Join today and help support the show!
This podcast supports Podcasting 2.0 if you’d like to support the show via value for value and stream some sats!
Get more info from Caloroga Shark Media
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Calarogus Shark Media. This fall, Earth will experience a fascinating
celestial event that highlights the dynamic nature of our solar system.
For fifty seven days from September twenty ninth to November
twenty fifth, twenty twenty four, our planet will have a
(00:24):
temporary second moon. This celestial visitor, an asteroid named twenty
twenty four PT five, will be pulled into Earth's orbit
by our planet's gravity before continuing its journey around the Sun.
The asteroid twenty twenty four PT five was first spotted
in August by the Asteroid Terrestrial Impact Last Alert System ATLAS,
(00:47):
an early warning system for incoming asteroids. ATLAS, which automatically
scans the sky several times each night looking for moving objects,
is part of our planetary defense strategy to identify potentially
hazardous near Earth objects. Neeo's researchers from the Universidad Complutense
(01:08):
de Madrid tracked the asteroid's orbit for twenty one days
and determined its future path. They found that twenty twenty
four PT five originates from the Arjuna asteroid belt, which
orbits the Sun at a distance of about ninety three
million miles, similar to Earth's own orbit. Objects like twenty
twenty four PT five that are temporarily captured by Earth's
(01:29):
gravity are known as mini moons or temporary moons. These
events occur when an asteroid passes close to Earth at
a relatively slow speed about two thousand, two hundred miles
per hour, and gets caught in our planet's gravitational field.
Twenty twenty four PT five is about thirty three feet long,
roughly the size of a bus. While this may seem large,
(01:51):
it's actually quite small on a cosmic scale. In fact,
it's too small to be seen with the naked eye
or even most amateur telescopes. At its closest approach, it
will still be five times farther away than our permanent
moon Luna. During its fifty seven day stint as Earth's
mini moon, twenty twenty four PT five will follow a
(02:13):
unique horseshoe shaped orbit around our planet. After completing its
mini moon episode, it will linger in Earth's neighborhood until
January twenty twenty five, making its closest approach on January ninth.
It won't return to Earth's vicinity again until twenty fifty five.
While mini moon events are believed to occur frequently. They
(02:35):
are challenging to detect due to the small size of
the objects involved. However, advances in asteroid detection technology have
allowed us to identify several such events in recent years.
Twenty twenty c D three discovered on February fifteenth, twenty twenty.
This car sized asteroid had been orbiting Earth for about
three years before detection. It continued its orbit until March
(02:59):
twenty twenty, when it escaped Earth's gravity. Two thousand six
RH one hundred twenty, this small asteroid, roughly the size
of a car, was Earth's companion from September two thousand
six to June two thousand seven. It was the first
known asteroid to orbit Earth for more than one orbital
period twenty twenty two n X one. This asteroid became
(03:22):
a mini moon twice, once in nineteen eighty one and
again in twenty twenty two. It's predicted to return to
Earth's orbit in twenty fifty one, demonstrating the complex dance
these objects perform around our planet and the Sun. The
capture of a mini moon requires a delicate balance of forces.
(03:42):
As Derrick Richardson, an astronomy professor at the University of
Maryland explains. To become a temporarily captured moon, an object
must come very close to Earth at a relatively slow pace.
This combination of factors is not very common, which is
why mini moon events are rare, despite the abundance of
asteroids in our solar system. The reason these captures are
(04:03):
temporary lies in the gravitational tug of war between Earth
and the Sun. Initially orbiting the Sun, these asteroids are
deflected by Earth's gravity as they pass nearby. However, the
Sun's massive gravitational influence continues to exert a pull, making
the mini moon's orbit unstable. Eventually, the object returns to
(04:26):
its solar orbit. For an object to become a permanent
moon of Earth, it would need to lose a significant
amount of speed. This could only happen through interaction with
another massive body or some kind of frictional force, neither
of which typically occurs in the vacuum of space. The
study of many moons and other eneos is crucial for
(04:49):
understanding potential asteroid impacts and improving our planetary defense strategies.
While twenty twenty four PT five poses no threat to Earth,
other asteroids could potentially be dangerous NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection
Test DART Investigation team successfully demonstrated our ability to deflect
potentially hazardous asteroids. In twenty twenty two, the DART mission
(05:13):
slightly altered the orbit of a five hundred thirty foot asteroid,
proving that we can potentially deter incoming threats. While twenty
twenty four PT five will be a harmless visitor, Earth
is expected to have a close encounter with a much
larger object in the near future. On April thirteenth, twenty
twenty nine, the asteroid Apofis will pass less than twenty
(05:34):
thousand miles from Earth's surface, closer than some of our
artificial satellites. At about one thousand, one hundred feet wide,
a Pofis will be visible to the naked eye for
observers in the Eastern Hemisphere. While it's not expected to
impact Earth, this close approach will provide an unprecedented opportunity
for scientific study. As we discuss temporary moved uons, it's
(06:00):
worth considering the long term fate of our permanent companion Luna.
The Earth Moon relationship is slowly changing. Luna is gradually
moving away from Earth at a rate of about three
point eight centimeters per year due to the transfer of
Earth's rotational energy to the Moon's orbital energy through tidal interactions.
(06:21):
As the Moon moves farther away, Earth's rotation is slowing down.
Days are getting longer by about one point eight milliseconds
per century. In about fifty billion years. If other factors
remained constant, the Moon would stop moving away from Earth.
(06:42):
At this point, the length of an Earth day would
match the length of a lunar month. However, long before
this could happen, our Sun will have evolved into a
red giant, dramatically altering the Earth Moon system. The Sun's
(07:02):
expansion will likely engulf both Earth and the Moon. The
temporary capture of twenty twenty four PT five as Earth's
mini moon is a testament to the dynamic nature of
our Solar system. It highlights the complex gravitational interactions between
(07:22):
celestial bodies and underscores the importance of continued astronomical observation
and research. As our ability to detect and track near
Earth objects improves, we may discover that such events are
more common than previously thought. Each mini moon provides a
unique opportunity to study these small Solar system bodies. Up close,
(07:47):
enhancing our understanding of asteroid composition, dynamics and the early
Solar System. Moreover, the study of these objects contributes to
our planetary defense capabilities, helping us prepare for potential future impacts.
As we continue to explore and monitor our local space environment,
we're sure to uncover more fascinating phenomena, further expanding our
(08:10):
knowledge of the cosmos in our place within it. The
upcoming visit of twenty twenty four Pt. Five serves as
a cosmic reminder of the ever changing nature of our
celestial neighborhood and the importance of remaining vigilant and curious
about the space around us. As we gaze up at
(08:32):
the night sky this fall, we can marvel at the
thought of our temporary second Moon silently orbiting overhead, a
small but significant player in the grand cosmic ballet.
Calarogus Shark Media. This fall, Earth will experience a fascinating
celestial event that highlights the dynamic nature of our solar system.
For fifty seven days from September twenty ninth to November
twenty fifth, twenty twenty four, our planet will have a
(00:24):
temporary second moon. This celestial visitor, an asteroid named twenty
twenty four PT five, will be pulled into Earth's orbit
by our planet's gravity before continuing its journey around the Sun.
The asteroid twenty twenty four PT five was first spotted
in August by the Asteroid Terrestrial Impact Last Alert System ATLAS,
(00:47):
an early warning system for incoming asteroids. ATLAS, which automatically
scans the sky several times each night looking for moving objects,
is part of our planetary defense strategy to identify potentially
hazardous near Earth objects. Neeo's researchers from the Universidad Complutense
(01:08):
de Madrid tracked the asteroid's orbit for twenty one days
and determined its future path. They found that twenty twenty
four PT five originates from the Arjuna asteroid belt, which
orbits the Sun at a distance of about ninety three
million miles, similar to Earth's own orbit. Objects like twenty
twenty four PT five that are temporarily captured by Earth's
(01:29):
gravity are known as mini moons or temporary moons. These
events occur when an asteroid passes close to Earth at
a relatively slow speed about two thousand, two hundred miles
per hour, and gets caught in our planet's gravitational field.
Twenty twenty four PT five is about thirty three feet long,
roughly the size of a bus. While this may seem large,
(01:51):
it's actually quite small on a cosmic scale. In fact,
it's too small to be seen with the naked eye
or even most amateur telescopes. At its closest approach, it
will still be five times farther away than our permanent
moon Luna. During its fifty seven day stint as Earth's
mini moon, twenty twenty four PT five will follow a
(02:13):
unique horseshoe shaped orbit around our planet. After completing its
mini moon episode, it will linger in Earth's neighborhood until
January twenty twenty five, making its closest approach on January ninth.
It won't return to Earth's vicinity again until twenty fifty five.
While mini moon events are believed to occur frequently. They
(02:35):
are challenging to detect due to the small size of
the objects involved. However, advances in asteroid detection technology have
allowed us to identify several such events in recent years.
Twenty twenty c D three discovered on February fifteenth, twenty twenty.
This car sized asteroid had been orbiting Earth for about
three years before detection. It continued its orbit until March
(02:59):
twenty twenty, when it escaped Earth's gravity. Two thousand six
RH one hundred twenty, this small asteroid, roughly the size
of a car, was Earth's companion from September two thousand
six to June two thousand seven. It was the first
known asteroid to orbit Earth for more than one orbital
period twenty twenty two n X one. This asteroid became
(03:22):
a mini moon twice, once in nineteen eighty one and
again in twenty twenty two. It's predicted to return to
Earth's orbit in twenty fifty one, demonstrating the complex dance
these objects perform around our planet and the Sun. The
capture of a mini moon requires a delicate balance of forces.
(03:42):
As Derrick Richardson, an astronomy professor at the University of
Maryland explains. To become a temporarily captured moon, an object
must come very close to Earth at a relatively slow pace.
This combination of factors is not very common, which is
why mini moon events are rare, despite the abundance of
asteroids in our solar system. The reason these captures are
(04:03):
temporary lies in the gravitational tug of war between Earth
and the Sun. Initially orbiting the Sun, these asteroids are
deflected by Earth's gravity as they pass nearby. However, the
Sun's massive gravitational influence continues to exert a pull, making
the mini moon's orbit unstable. Eventually, the object returns to
(04:26):
its solar orbit. For an object to become a permanent
moon of Earth, it would need to lose a significant
amount of speed. This could only happen through interaction with
another massive body or some kind of frictional force, neither
of which typically occurs in the vacuum of space. The
study of many moons and other eneos is crucial for
(04:49):
understanding potential asteroid impacts and improving our planetary defense strategies.
While twenty twenty four PT five poses no threat to Earth,
other asteroids could potentially be dangerous NASA's Double Asteroid Redirection
Test DART Investigation team successfully demonstrated our ability to deflect
potentially hazardous asteroids. In twenty twenty two, the DART mission
(05:13):
slightly altered the orbit of a five hundred thirty foot asteroid,
proving that we can potentially deter incoming threats. While twenty
twenty four PT five will be a harmless visitor, Earth
is expected to have a close encounter with a much
larger object in the near future. On April thirteenth, twenty
twenty nine, the asteroid Apofis will pass less than twenty
(05:34):
thousand miles from Earth's surface, closer than some of our
artificial satellites. At about one thousand, one hundred feet wide,
a Pofis will be visible to the naked eye for
observers in the Eastern Hemisphere. While it's not expected to
impact Earth, this close approach will provide an unprecedented opportunity
for scientific study. As we discuss temporary moved uons, it's
(06:00):
worth considering the long term fate of our permanent companion Luna.
The Earth Moon relationship is slowly changing. Luna is gradually
moving away from Earth at a rate of about three
point eight centimeters per year due to the transfer of
Earth's rotational energy to the Moon's orbital energy through tidal interactions.
(06:21):
As the Moon moves farther away, Earth's rotation is slowing down.
Days are getting longer by about one point eight milliseconds
per century. In about fifty billion years. If other factors
remained constant, the Moon would stop moving away from Earth.
(06:42):
At this point, the length of an Earth day would
match the length of a lunar month. However, long before
this could happen, our Sun will have evolved into a
red giant, dramatically altering the Earth Moon system. The Sun's
(07:02):
expansion will likely engulf both Earth and the Moon. The
temporary capture of twenty twenty four PT five as Earth's
mini moon is a testament to the dynamic nature of
our Solar system. It highlights the complex gravitational interactions between
(07:22):
celestial bodies and underscores the importance of continued astronomical observation
and research. As our ability to detect and track near
Earth objects improves, we may discover that such events are
more common than previously thought. Each mini moon provides a
unique opportunity to study these small Solar system bodies. Up close,
(07:47):
enhancing our understanding of asteroid composition, dynamics and the early
Solar System. Moreover, the study of these objects contributes to
our planetary defense capabilities, helping us prepare for potential future impacts.
As we continue to explore and monitor our local space environment,
we're sure to uncover more fascinating phenomena, further expanding our
(08:10):
knowledge of the cosmos in our place within it. The
upcoming visit of twenty twenty four Pt. Five serves as
a cosmic reminder of the ever changing nature of our
celestial neighborhood and the importance of remaining vigilant and curious
about the space around us. As we gaze up at
(08:32):
the night sky this fall, we can marvel at the
thought of our temporary second Moon silently orbiting overhead, a
small but significant player in the grand cosmic ballet.
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