Earth now has two moons, but can you see the 'second moon' from India?

Earth has a new, temporary companion in space: a "mini moon" named Asteroid 2024 PT5. This small space rock, about the size of a bus, was caught by Earth’s gravity on Sunday. But don’t expect to see it in the night sky from India — or anywhere else — unless you have advanced telescopes.

Asteroid 2024 PT5 is about 10 metres wide and was first spotted by scientists in Spain this August. It’s expected to orbit Earth for about two months, circling our planet until it breaks free on November 25. Unlike our main Moon, this mini moon won’t complete a full orbit around Earth before heading back into space.

This space rock is part of a group of asteroids called the Arjuna asteroid belt, which travels in a similar path around the Sun as Earth does. Mini moons like this aren’t as rare as you might think — there was another one spotted in 2020, but they are small and hard to detect.

Can you see the 'second moon' from India?
No, you won’t be able to see this mini moon with the naked eye. In fact, even regular telescopes won’t be able to spot it. Only large, professional-grade telescopes can catch a glimpse of 2024 PT5 due to its size and dim appearance. So, unless you’re working with major space equipment, you’ll have to rely on online images from observatories.

Scientists aren’t exactly sure whether this asteroid is just a piece of space rock or possibly a chunk of the Moon that was knocked off long ago. Interestingly, this mini moon is expected to pass by Earth again in 2055, making it a rare, but not unheard-of, visitor.

Though this mini moon will only be around for a short time, it’s a reminder of how many objects are out there, flying near Earth. With thousands of space rocks passing by, scientists keep a close watch on these cosmic visitors to better understand our dynamic solar system.