Why in the News?

In a rare celestial event, Earth’s gravitational field will witness a small asteroid, 2024 PT5, creating a “mini-moon” for two months.

What is Mini-Moon?

A mini-moon is a small asteroid temporarily captured by Earth’s gravitational field, orbiting the planet for a short period before escaping back into space.
Unlike Earth’s permanent moon, mini-moons only stay for a few months to a few years before being ejected from orbit.
Mini-moons are a rare occurrence because most asteroids either pass by Earth or burn up in the atmosphere rather than being captured by Earth’s gravity.
Mini-moons are usually small, often just a few meters in diameter.
- For example, 2024 PT5 is only about 33 feet (10 meters) in length.
They are hard to detect and are usually discovered using advanced telescopic surveys like NASA’s Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS).

Mini-moons offer scientists a unique opportunity to study near-Earth objects, enhancing our understanding of asteroids’ behavior and composition.
Mini-moons could contain valuable minerals or water, making them potential targets for future space missions to extract resources.
Studying mini-moons helps scientists learn more about Earth’s gravitational influence and how it interacts with space objects.

[2011] What is the difference between asteroids and comets?

Asteroids are small rocky planetoids, while comets are formed of frozen gases held together by rocky and metallic material.
Asteroids are found mostly between the orbits of Jupiter and Mars, while comets are found mostly between Venus and Mercury.
Comets show a perceptible glowing tail, while asteroids do not.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 3 only
(d) 1, 2 and 3