4 C
London
Tuesday, February 11, 2025

2024 PT5. She was our second moon, it could come from the moon

Must read

- Advertisement -


Asteroid 2024 PT5, which was the second moon of the Earth for some time, probably comes from the moon. This is demonstrated by the chemical properties of the object. The tiny rock was fired into space thousands of years ago – and is not the only object of this type.

Although Earth can boast of many artificial satellites, we are accompanied mostly by only one natural object – the moon. Last year, researchers found a small asteroid 2024 PT5, which for a short time was the second moon of our planet. Studies that appeared in the scientific journal “Astrophysical Journal Letters” shed some light on its origin.

More about 2024 PT5: Today we will lose our second moon

Full of silicates

2024 PT5 is a small object – it is about 11 meters wide. The researchers' attention was drawn to his orbit around the sun, very reminiscent of ours. This suggested that the asteroid may come from our corner of the solar system.

- Advertisement -

“This type of orbit is essentially rare, so it should not be surprising that we do not have the right name yet,” explained Teddy Kareta from the Lowell observatory in Arizona, the main author of the analysis.

2024 PT5 – artistic conceptNASA/JPL-Caltech

The latest reports are the results of observation of the researcher team. Together with his colleagues, he watched the rock at the Lowell Discovery Telescope Research Institute and at the Mauna Kea observatory in Hawaii. Analysis of the light spectrum of 2024 PT5 showed that it does not resemble a spectrum characteristic of the types of asteroids known to us. However, it was very similar to the one observed for the rocks obtained from the moon's surface.

– We had a hypothesis that the asteroid may come from the moon, but it was confirmed after the discovery that it is rich in silicates, similar to those found in samples of moon rocks – explained the carriage. – It looks like she didn't stay in space Too long, maybe just a few thousand years – he added.

MoonPAP/Adam Ziemienowicz

Stray between earth and moon

These reports shed new light on the rare group of asteroids of moon origin. These include at least 469219 Kamo'oalewa, i.e. our pseudo -Moon – planetoid Accompanying the earth in motion around the sun, but not remaining in its gravity domination zone. Their research can help us understand how often fragments that rushed towards the earth were broken from the moon.

If the asteroid can be associated with a specific shock crater on the moon, its examination can present new facts about the processes ruling on the surface of our natural satellite. However, future scientists will explain more.

Moon phasesNASA/Bill Dunford

Source of the main photo: NASA/JPL-Caltech



Source link

More articles

- Advertisement -

Latest article