Everything You Need to Know About Earth’s Mini-Moon

UFO & Aliens

Everything You Need to Know About Earth’s Mini-Moon

As of September 29, 2024, Earth has a new cosmic companion! This isn’t a traditional moon but a temporary visitor known as a mini-moon. The newly discovered asteroid, 2024 PT5, will be with us for the next 57 days,…

March 10, 2025 • 3 min read • Art Grindstone

Art Grindstone is the hard-nosed storyteller behind Unexplained.co, a veteran investigator whose life’s work sits at the crossroads of the paranormal, fringe science, and the shadows most people try not to look into. With decades spent chasing impossible stories — black-budget psychic programs, vanished Cold War experiments, desert rituals that sparked UFO waves, and the strange phenomena buried in America’s forgotten backroads — Art brings a rare combination of skepticism, awe, and journalistic precision. He’s not here to debunk. He’s not here to blindly believe. He follows the evidence wherever it leads — even when it leads someplace deeply uncomfortable. Known for his immersive, cinematic style and his ability to turn obscure research into gripping narrative, Art has built a devoted following across podcasts, long-form features, documentaries, and serialized investigations. His interviews are direct. His analysis is unflinching. His voice has become a staple in the modern paranormal renaissance — the guy people turn to when a story is too strange, too complex, or too dangerous for anyone else to touch. Off-mic, Art works with a distributed network of researchers, archivists, and field operatives who help surface the stories mainstream media ignores. On-mic, he transforms their findings into meticulous, high-impact reporting that refuses to insult the intelligence of true believers. His philosophy is simple: Take the phenomenon seriously. Treat the audience with respect. Tell the story as if the world depends on it — because sometimes it does. When Art Grindstone digs into a case, he isn’t just chasing a mystery. He’s tracing the fault lines of reality itself.

In This Report(8)

As of September 29, 2024, Earth has a new cosmic companion! This isn’t a traditional moon but a temporary visitor known as a mini-moon. The newly discovered asteroid, 2024 PT5, will be with us for the next 57 days, offering a unique glimpse into the dynamic nature of our solar system.

Key Takeaways

Mini-moons are temporary cosmic visitors, not permanent satellites.
2024 PT5 will be visible from September 29 to November 25, 2024.
These objects are typically a few meters in size, much smaller than our Moon.
Detection of mini-moons relies on advanced space surveillance systems.
Earth experiences several mini-moon events per decade.

What Is a Mini-Moon?

The term mini-moon was coined by scientists, not the media. It refers to asteroids that get temporarily captured by Earth’s gravity. Unlike our permanent Moon, mini-moons have unstable orbits and don’t complete full loops around Earth. Their stay can last from a few hours to several months.

For instance, 2024 PT5 will be around from September 29 to November 25, 2024. This mini-moon measures about 10 meters (33 feet) across, making it significantly smaller than our Moon, which is about 3,474 kilometers wide.

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How Do Mini-Moons Form?

Mini-moons typically originate from the Arjuna asteroid belt, which shares a similar orbit to Earth. This makes them prime candidates for temporary capture. So far, there have been five confirmed mini-moons, including 2024 PT5.

Spotting a Mini-Moon

Detecting mini-moons is no easy task. The Astro Terrestrial Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) detected 2024 PT5 on August 7, 2024. ATLAS is designed to monitor space rocks that could threaten Earth, but this time it found a visitor from the Arjuna asteroid belt.

The Journey of 2024 PT5

2024 PT5 is on a temporary captured flyby. It won’t complete a full orbit around Earth during its visit. Instead, it will be pulled back into space by the Sun’s gravity after its brief stay. Scientists have modeled its trajectory and are confident about its path for the next 57 days.

Visibility of 2024 PT5

Unfortunately, if you’re hoping to see 2024 PT5, you might be disappointed. It won’t be visible to the naked eye, and even most backyard telescopes won’t suffice. You would need a telescope at least paired with a sensitive detector to catch a glimpse of this mini-moon.