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Space

Earth had a temporary mini-moon that was a chunk of the real moon

An asteroid orbiting near our planet that temporarily became our second moon seems to have come from the actual moon, hinting that a hidden population of lunar rocks is drifting in space

By Jonathan O’Callaghan

17 December 2024

An illustration of a near-Earth object

There may be more moon-born asteroids near Earth than we thought

ESA/P.Carril

A huge rock orbiting near Earth appears to have originated from the moon, the second such object known to exist, with maybe more than a dozen awaiting discovery.

The asteroid, called 2024 PT5, is about 10 metres wide. Spotted in August, it was later snared by Earth’s gravitational pull, becoming a second moon of our planet, referred to as a mini-moon, between September and November.

Re-examining the asteroid, Teddy Kareta at Lowell Observatory…

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