Save the world and get fabulously wealthy doing so. Someone really should make a movie out of that scenario, before it ...

Occasionally, asteroids get caught in Earth’s orbit, temporarily becoming mini moons before continuing their cosmic paths.

Asteroid 2024 PT5, which almost became a temporary mini-moon to Earth, was recently found to be a broken-off part of the moon itself. This discovery has led scientists to believe there are many ...

Before concluding that 2024 PT5 was a fragment of the Moon, scientists needed to rule out the possibility that it was simply space debris, such as an old rocket part or a piece of human-made material.

An artist’s concept of an asteroid like the small near-Earth object 2024 PT5, whose orbit around the sun closely matches that of our planet and led to it being called a “mini-moon.” NASA/JPL ...

That means the approach in 2055 may be just a little too wide for 2024 PT5 to be snared by Earth as a mini-moon. "As for the future, it is virtually certain that it will return in 2055.

During the occupation of asteroid 2024 PT5 around Earth, Space.com has been corresponding with one of the scientists who discovered its trajectory and its status as a mini-moon, Carlos de la ...

Afterward, we won’t see 2024 PT5 make a close approach again until 2055. “Mini-moons come and go as they wish,” Marcos says to Space.com.

In late September, 2024 PT5 would come within mini-moon range, or 2.8 million miles (4.5 million kilometers) from Earth, at about 2,200 miles per hour (3,540 kilometers per hour).

Asteroid 2024 PT5, the “mini moon” that has been tagging along in Earth’s orbit for the past couple of months, is already departing on Monday. (Shutterstock) ...

Earth is bidding farewell to a tiny asteroid that joined its orbit for nearly two months. The asteroid, known as 2024 PT5, is set to be drawn away from Earth by the powerful pull of the sun on Monday.