On August 7, 2024, NASA’s Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) detected a space object that, for a little more than a month, will become a mini-moon of Earth. Named 2024 PT5, the rock is only 33 meters long and will form a kind of horseshoe-like orbit around Earth from September 29 to November 5 before leaving Earth’s orbit.

A small asteroid may become a "mini-moon" of Earth's for a couple of months, according to some astronomers. But what makes something a mini-moon, and why are they so hard to spot?

Scientists predict that the asteroid 'mini moon' will re-enter Earth's orbit again in 2055. This is due to its orbit being similar to that of our planet. Calculations show that the asteroid will return to circle Earth in 2055. This is not an unprecedented event as two mini moon events were recorded previously, one in 1981 and 2022.