(Science & Tech, Space, Current Affairs)
Recent News:
-According to a new study, the Earth’s gravitational field will temporarily capture a small asteroid, called 2024 PT5, in late September. The asteroid will stay for two months before flying off into space.
-While gaining a “mini-moon” is not new for Earth, the phenomenon is rare in most cases, asteroids either miss the planet or burn upon entering the Earth’s atmosphere.
What are Mini Moons?
–Mini-moons are asteroids that are unable to escape Earth’s gravity and remain in orbit for an extended period of time. They are usually very small and difficult to detect; only four mini-moons of Earth have ever been detected, and none are still orbiting the planet.
-The asteroid got detected with the assistance of the NASA funded system which is the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS).
–Mini-moons are considered significant, as they contain precious metals. When they get attracted by Earth’s gravitation,there is the possibility of mining those precious metals.
-Although, The asteroid 2024 PT5 is not strictly a mini-moon because it will not complete a full revolution around Earth and will remain in the planet’s orbit for more than 56 days.
Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/everyday-explainers/earth-mini-moon-meaning-9576200/