Earth will have a temporary ‘mini moon’ for two months
WASHINGTON: Earth’s moon will soon have some company — a “mini moon.”
The mini moon is actually an asteroid about the size of a school bus at 33 feet (10 meters). When it whizzes by Earth on Sunday, it will be temporarily trapped by our planet’s gravity and orbit the globe — but only for about two months.
The space rock — 2024 PT5 — was first spotted in August by astronomers at Complutense University of Madrid using a powerful telescope located in Sutherland, South Africa.
These short-lived mini moons are likely more common than we realize, said Richard Binzel, an astronomer at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The last known one was detected in 2020.
“This happens with some frequency, but we rarely see them because they’re very small and very hard to detect,” he said. “Only recently has our survey capability reached the point of spotting them routinely.”
The discovery by Carlos de la Fuente Marcos and Raúl de la Fuente Marcos was published by the American Astronomical Society.
This one won’t be visible to the naked eye or through amateur telescopes, but it “can be observed with relatively large, research-grade telescopes,” Carlos de la Fuente Marcos said in an email.
Binzel, who was not involved in the research, said it’s not clear whether the space rock originated as an asteroid or as “a chunk of the moon that got blasted out.”
The mini moon will circle the globe for almost 57 days but won’t complete a full orbit. On Nov. 25, it will part ways with the Earth and continue its solo trajectory through the cosmos. It’s expected to pass by again in 2055.
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New Delhi: The Lok Sabha is set to debate and vote on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill on Wednesday, with an eight-hour discussion scheduled. The bill has sparked a sharp divide between the government and the Opposition, which has labeled it "unconstitutional."
With a simple majority of 272 votes required for passage, the ruling NDA, which holds 293 seats, is expected to push the bill through. Key allies, including the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Janata Dal (United), and the Lok Janshakti Party (Ramvilas), have extended support after their recommendations were considered by a joint parliamentary committee. The BJP has issued a whip for its MPs, while Opposition parties have done the same to ensure full attendance.
Despite being outnumbered, the Opposition has vowed to challenge the bill. Congress MP K C Venugopal stated that it contradicts constitutional provisions, while CPI(M) MP John Brittas confirmed plans to demand a division of votes. The INDIA bloc, after a strategy meeting, agreed to participate in the debate and push for a vote count.
Earlier, Opposition leaders walked out of a business advisory committee meeting, accusing the government of curbing their voice. Minorities and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju confirmed the debate schedule, stating that the Speaker had allowed an eight-hour discussion, extendable if needed. However, the Opposition had demanded 12 hours.
