Earth has gained a temporary companion in the form of a mini-moon named ‘2024 PT5.’

This small asteroid, typically a rock that becomes entrapped by Earth’s gravitational pull, will orbit our planet for approximately two months before drifting back into space.

Discovered by NASA’s Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), mini-moons like 2024 PT5 are fleeting visitors. These objects, often measuring just a few meters in diameter, provide scientists with valuable research opportunities, although their stay is short-lived. The last observed mini-moon, 2020 CD3, spent a similar duration in Earth’s orbit before escaping.

Interestingly, 2024 PT5 has drawn connections to the Hindu epic Mahabharata.

According to the head of ISRO’s Network for Space Objects Tracking and Analysis (NETRA), Dr Anil Kumar, the orbital characteristics of this mini-moon resemble those of asteroids from the Arjuna asteroid belt. Named after the Valiant character Arjuna, these asteroids represent a unique celestial population that has captured the attention of astronomers since their discovery in the early 1990s.