Earth prepares to say goodbye to temporary mini moon 2024 PT5

Earth will soon part ways with a small asteroid, known as 2024 PT5, that has been orbiting the planet for the past two months. This asteroid, about 33 feet wide, is not a true moon but has been observed closely by scientists. The asteroid will move away on Monday, influenced by the sun's gravity. It will return for a brief visit in January, coming within 1.1 million miles of Earth, where NASA plans to study it using radar. First spotted in August, 2024 PT5 began its path around Earth in late September. It will not return until 2055, when it is expected to make another temporary pass by our planet.