At the end of September, Earth gained a temporary "mini moon," a tiny asteroid from the Arjuna asteroid belt orbiting the Sun. However, a team of researchers—including the two astronomers who first discovered the mini moon—believe the space rock may have a lunar origin,

Dr. Shannon Schmoll, director of Michigan State University’s Abrams Planetarium, said an asteroid’s orbit must follow a similar one to Earth’s for this to happen. “Theres

A mini moon that will bid farewell to Earth soon may in fact be a small hunk of the big moon — the one that has loomed far longer in the sky than humans have roamed the planet.

Asteroid 2024 PT5, Earth's temporary "mini moon," is set to leave orbit on November 25, 2024. Its brief visit provided valuable insights into near-Earth objects and gravitational interactions.