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Asteroid 2024 PT5 left its temporary Earth-associated episode on November 25, 2024, and continued around the Sun. The “2055” date refers to a predicted future pass near Earth—not to the asteroid staying away until then or orbiting Earth in the meantime. NASA said PT5 was never captured by Earth’s gravity, so “mini-moon” is a popular label, not a second permanent moon.
What is the “mini moon” 2024 PT5?
2024 PT5 is a small near-Earth asteroid first observed on August 7, 2024, by the Sutherland telescope in South Africa, part of the University of Hawai‘i’s NASA-funded ATLAS survey. NASA’s public estimate put it at about 10 meters (33 feet) wide. The “mini-moon” nickname came from a short-lived relationship between its path and Earth—not from a lasting orbit like the Moon’s.
The phrase needs qualification because sources use different descriptions. The discovery paper identifies a temporary capture interval from September 29 to November 25, 2024. NASA’s October 2024 explanation, however, said the asteroid remained in a similar orbit around the Sun and “will never be captured by Earth’s gravity.” Read together, the dates describe the episode called a temporary capture in the paper, while NASA’s account cautions that PT5 did not become a satellite bound by Earth’s gravity.
When did 2024 PT5 leave, and what does 2055 mean?
The interval identified by the discovery paper ended on November 25, 2024. PT5 then continued along a Sun-centered orbit. A 2055 return or close pass near Earth has been predicted, but the sources do not establish an exact observing schedule, distance, or guaranteed date decades in advance. It will not be circling Earth continuously until then.
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NASA also announced a planned Goldstone radar tracking opportunity during a January 2025 pass it described in advance as about five lunar distances away. That date is now in the past; NASA’s announcement was prospective and is not, by itself, confirmation of the later observations.
How big is the asteroid?
There is no single settled physical size in the cited estimates. Diameter is inferred from brightness and reflectivity assumptions or measurements, so the values below come from different data and models rather than interchangeable direct measurements.
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| Source and date | Reported size | Qualification |
|---|---|---|
| NASA, 2024 | About 10 meters (33 feet) | Rounded public-facing estimate. |
| The Astrophysical Journal Letters discovery paper, 2024 | 5.4 ± 1.2 meters | Estimated assuming an albedo of 0.21; the paper reports absolute magnitude 28.64 ± 0.04. |
| CaltechAUTHORS-hosted study, 2025 | 7.4 ± 1.0 meters | That study reports absolute magnitude 27.72 ± 0.09 and geometric albedo 0.26 ± 0.07 using its observations and model. |
The estimates differ because their inputs and methods differ. They all describe a small asteroid, but none should be presented as a precisely measured, directly sampled diameter.
Why do scientists think it came from the Moon?
Researchers infer a lunar origin from the asteroid’s reflected light. Gemini North observations in the discovery study found a spectrum that matched lunar rock samples best, with S-complex asteroids the next closest comparison. NASA’s January 2025 research summary described silicate minerals resembling lunar samples and said the spectrum did not match known asteroid types as well. The Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias reported that independent studies using different telescope facilities also supported a lunar origin.
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This is evidence for a fragment blasted off the Moon by an impact, not proof from a returned sample: no spacecraft collected material from 2024 PT5. In a separate characterization study, researchers reported lunar-like silicate colors and photometric data suggesting a rotation period under one hour, and used the term “quasi-mini-moon” for certain episodes. A January 2025 observational study described PT5 as tumbling and classified its spectrum as S-complex while also noting lunar-sample-like colors. These are study-specific analyses, not a single uncontested description of every property.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Could people see it, and was it dangerous?
No naked-eye or amateur-telescope viewing opportunity was established in the contemporary coverage. The Associated Press reported it was not visible to the naked eye or through amateur telescopes; co-discoverer Carlos de la Fuente Marcos said it could be observed with “relatively large, research-grade telescopes.” NASA said PT5 posed no hazard to Earth.
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Sources and further reading
- NASA: Asteroid to Make a Close Approach to Earth in 2025
- The Astrophysical Journal Letters discovery paper
- NASA: Researchers study the origin of asteroid 2024 PT5
- Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias: Independent studies support a lunar origin
- CaltechAUTHORS-hosted 2025 study
- Associated Press coverage of 2024 PT5
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