Earth is set to have a ‘new moon’ for a period of 65 days starting from September 29, according to a recent study by researchers in Madrid. The miniature moon, termed a ‘mini moon’, will be orbiting our planet for over two months. Scientists from Universidad Complutense de Madrid have confirmed that this mini moon will be visible in the night sky from September 29 until November 25. It will then return to an asteroid belt revolving around the sun.
The second moon is actually an asteroid approximately the size of a large bus, as reported by The Guardian. This rare event has occurred before, with similar instances in 1981 and 2022. Carlos de la Fuente Marcos, a professor at Universidad Complutense de Madrid, explained that the object belongs to the Arjuna asteroid belt, which consists of space rocks with orbits resembling Earth’s. This asteroid will be captured by Earth’s gravity and become a temporary moon.
Despite its smaller size compared to our main moon, this mini moon will offer a unique sight in the sky. Researchers anticipate that this event will repeat in 2055. The asteroid was discovered on August 7 through the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (Atlas), a NASA-funded program. While the mini moon might be too faint for amateur telescopes, professional astronomers should be able to observe it clearly.
The mini moon will be a temporary visitor in Earth’s orbit, affected by the planet’s gravity for about two months. Although it won’t complete a full orbit around Earth, this event is generating excitement among scientists and stargazers. If you miss this opportunity, you may have another chance in 2055 to witness this celestial phenomenon.