A big asteroid plummets into Earth’s atmosphere at 400,000 kilometers per hour. Captured by Earth’s gravitational field, it begins to disintegrate, tearing through the stratosphere and decelerating at 9.8 meters per second squared. Now, picture an airplane flying at a constant speed of 75 meters per second. If the asteroid were to hit the plane, how much would it hurt?
The answer is a lot.
To prevent accidental deaths via obscure physics problems, NASA has a Sentry Impact Risk Page that lists potential Near Earth Objects like the one described above that could impact the planet.
Our new visitor was on this list until recently. This asteroid, known as 2024 PT 5, entered Earth’s orbit on Sept. 29 and will continue to rotate until Nov. 25. Some people are referring to 2024 PT 5 as Earth’s second moon. The last time we had a “second moon” was 2022.
Heralding from the neighboring Arjuna asteroid belt, it boasts a 36-foot diameter — quite modest compared to the 6-mile-wide behemoth that obliterated the dinosaurs.
It was attempting to photobomb in the Draco constellation, but its impressive girth is not enough to make it visible to the human eye. This made the asteroid quite self-conscious, and it now refuses to show itself to the average being.
Apparently, 2024 PT 5 has developed a bit of a complex over this matter and has gone into hiding. If you want to catch a glimpse of this cosmic entity, you’ll need a telescope with at least a 30-inch diameter with charge-coupled devices or complementary metal-oxide sensors. Only these devices can illuminate the normally dark object.
But the persistent mortals who will not give up on seeing the moon with these technical devices will not be let down. The awe at seeing such a magnificent entity is out of this world.
2024 PT 5 is not the first extraterrestrial object to enter Earth’s orbit, nor will it be the last. There are millions of objects of space debris currently orbiting our planet. 2024 PT 5 will show no signs of bucking the trend. Fifty-eight days after it enters Earth’s orbit, it will desert without even running around the entire planet.
While 2024 PT 5 may have gained a lot of traction as a “temporary moon,” its status as a moon — even a temporary one — is tenuous. The term “moon” lacks a clear-cut definition, but is generally agreed to be any natural object orbiting the Earth. 2024 PT 5, which does not complete even a singular orbit, could be argued to be a fraud.
And despite its fame, 2024 PT 5 is nothing extraordinary. Scientists estimate there are over 1000 earth-crossing asteroids.
But bearing no mind to its critics, 2024 PT 5 will continue its clandestine existence for quite some time, away from pesky humans and their prying telescopes. Isn’t that something it can hold over our heads.