Earth Will Have a "Second Moon" for 57 Days: What does this mean?

The MoonPhoto byv2oskonUnsplash

It's here! On September 29, a "mini-moon" joined our planet in orbit around the sun. It's actually a near-Earth asteroid named 2024 PT5 measuring an estimated 33 feet across. Snagged by Earth's gravity, it will break free on November 25 and resume its normal orbit.

300,000 times smaller than our actual moon, 2024 PT5 will not be visible to the naked eye or even with a backyard telescope—our only chance to see it will come from images released by a professional observatory.

According to National Geographic, if Earth really had a second moon, it would completely change the oceans' tides and alter what scientists know about the history of astronomy.

Have you felt what you think may be possible effects of this moonlet? Let us know in the comments section.