The Earth will acquire another natural satellite for a couple of months.
This was reported by the head of the Laboratory of Solar Astronomy of the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Sergei Bogachev.
In a conversation with RBC, the scientist reported that the asteroid 2024 PT5 will become the planet’s new satellite.
It is now approaching the Earth and will accompany it from about September 29, becoming a kind of mini-Moon.
After November 25, the Earth and the Moon will get rid of the space rock using their combined gravity.
Bogachev specified that the asteroid is approximately 10 meters in size. It is an ordinary celestial body.
Science is not interested in the fact of the asteroid capture, but in its duration. Usually it takes longer. And in this case we are talking about two months.
A recent solar flare caused a magnetic storm on Earth, which was rated G3 (on a five-point scale). It triggered the appearance of the northern lights in central Russia.
