Scientists are suggesting that a small natural satellite—referred to as a “minimune”—might be quietly orbiting near Earth. Their belief has grown stronger with the recent discovery of a second moon fragment, identified as 2024 PT5, drifting in proximity to our planet.
This new object, spotted last August, is thought to be an ancient fragment resulting from a significant impact that broke off from the moon long ago. This fragment marks the second known moon relic found.
“They’re making the most of the world,” stated Teddy Caleta, a planetary scientist at Lowell Observatory in Arizona. “If there’s two, that solidifies the idea there could be a population.”
The findings were shared in a publication in Astrophysics Letter and were presented at the 56th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in Texas this past March.
Initially discovered by astronomers in South Africa, 2024 PT5 caught attention due to its unusually slow movement, drifting just about 2 meters relative to Earth. This characteristic positions it as a strong candidate for the mission-accessible nearby object surveys (MANOS), which seeks asteroids that are easier targets for spacecraft missions.
Measuring between 26-39 feet wide (8-12 meters), these rocks don’t resemble typical asteroids. Caleta and his team believe these might have been expelled from the moon’s surface during the impacts.
The implications of these discoveries indicate that other similar fragments might also be lurking in space near Earth. As our planet orbits the Sun, it traverses through various clouds of debris, both natural and man-made, which includes remnants from the early solar system. Scientists keep a watchful eye on these near-Earth objects (NEOs) for potential threats.
Generally, materials dislodged from the moon during impacts tend to remain within Earth’s orbit, particularly the slower-moving fragments. While 2024 PT5 was initially dubbed the Short Mini Moon in September, it drifted away but is expected to return closer to Earth in 2055.
Shortly after its discovery, Kareta and lead researcher Nick Moskowitz turned the Lowell Discovery Telescope towards 2024 PT5. Through analysis of its visible and near-infrared composition, they found it strikingly resembles materials collected by the Apollo and Soviet Luna 24 missions.
“It’s like finding a whole new piece of evidence at a crime scene that you hadn’t noticed before,” remarked Kareta. “While it may not lead to immediate solutions, any new details to compare can be quite valuable.”
This discovery marks the second moon fragment recognized near Earth, the first being Kamooarewa, found in 2016 and officially linked to the moon in 2021.
