Earth to gain temporary second moon for 57 days starting September 29

Earth will temporarily gain a second moon, a mini-moon asteroid named 2024 PT5, on September 29. This asteroid, about 35 feet long, will orbit Earth for 57 days before returning to its path around the sun on November 25. The mini-moon will follow a horseshoe path and is too faint for most amateur telescopes to see. Professional astronomers should be able to capture images of it, while astrophotographers may attempt to photograph it under ideal conditions. After its brief stay, 2024 PT5 will pass Earth at a distance of about 1.1 million miles on January 8, 2025. It will not return until 2055, following a similar event with another mini-moon in 2022.