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‘Earth’s secret moon’: Scientists unravel the bizarre mystery of asteroid PT5

Produced by: Manoj Kumar

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Lunar Mystery

A tiny asteroid, NEA 2024 PT5, has raised questions about its origin—possibly a fragment from the moon.

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Asteroid Traits

Discovered in August 2024, PT5’s silicate-rich composition rules out an artificial origin.

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Reflectance Clues

Lowell Discovery Telescope revealed PT5’s reflectance spectrum matches lunar samples, unlike typical asteroids.

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Rare Find

If confirmed, PT5 would be only the second near-Earth asteroid identified as lunar ejecta.

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Population Hints

Researchers estimate 5-10 times more lunar fragments could exist in near-Earth asteroid populations.

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Impact Insight

Lunar-origin asteroids like PT5 could reveal the history of impacts on the moon and terrestrial planets.

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Future Studies

Larger telescopes and advanced techniques will be key to identifying more lunar-sourced asteroids.

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Scientific Credit

The study, led by Theodore Kareta (Lowell Observatory) and Oscar Fuentes-Munoz (NASA JPL), is available on the arXiv preprint server.

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Next Encounter

PT5 will pass near Earth again this month, with NASA planning to study its trajectory and characteristics further.

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