--- title: "Earth’s Second Moon Has Vanished, Scientists Say" description: "The Earth has parted ways with a tiny \"mini moon\" that's been orbiting our planet for two months now." date: "2024-11-25" modified: "2024-11-25" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/earth-second-moon-gone" categories: - "Astronomy" - "Moon" - "Space" tags: - "asteroid" - "earth" - "moon" - "near-earth objects" - "the digest" --- # Earth’s Second Moon Has Vanished, Scientists Say ![The Earth has parted ways with a tiny "mini moon" that's been orbiting our planet for two months now.]() *\Image: Getty / Futurism\* ## Once in a Blue Moon The Earth has parted ways with a tiny "mini moon" that had orbited our planet for two months — at least until it swings back around for another visit two months from now. The 33-foot space rock, [dubbed 2024 PT5](), was first spotted by astronomers in August. It only came by for a brief visit, circling the Earth for much of the late summer in a horseshoe-shaped path before the effects of the Earth's gravitational field gave way to the much stronger forces from the Sun, as the [*Associated Press* reports](). Intriguingly, scientists believe it's possible that 2024 PT5 [was once part of the Moon itself]() but was chipped off by a different asteroid that hit it millions of years ago. The near-Earth object never posed a threat to Earth, orbiting the planet at a safe distance. And it was more than likely one of countless objects just like it hanging out in our close vicinity. In other words, it's a reminder that "there’s a pretty busy highway around the Earth," as Harvard asteroid dynamics researcher Federica Spoto [told the *New York Times*]() in September. ## Hello Goodbye Scientists believe the so-called "mini moon" was once part of the Arjuna asteroid belt, a group of asteroids following a similar orbit to the Earth. Despite its moniker, 2024 PT5 never completed its full orbit around the Earth. "You may say that if a true satellite is like a customer buying goods inside a store, objects like 2024 PT5 are window shoppers," Universidad Complutense de Madrid professor Carlos de la Fuente Marcos, lead author of an [article]() on the asteroid published in the journal *Research Notes of the AAS*, [told *Space.com*]() in September. "So far, science has only identified two objects subjected to long captures, 2006 RH120 and 2020 CD3," he added, referring to objects that become "temporarily bound to Earth." 2024 PT5 never came close enough to be visible to amateur telescopes or binoculars. However, NASA is preparing to closely follow its upcoming and equally brief visit in January using a radar antenna, according to the *AP*. After that, the space rock won't be coming by to say hello for another 30 years. **More on the asteroid:** *[Earth Gaining a Temporary New Moon, Scientists Say]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()