Earth has caught a 'second moon,' scientists say

Question

Earth should have captured a temporary "second moon" on Sunday (Sept. 29).

Answer 1

The article discusses the temporary capture of asteroid 2024 PT5 as a "mini-moon" by Earth, but the title is somewhat misleading. Referring to it as a "second moon" suggests a more permanent fixture, while the text clarifies that 2024 PT5 will only be a temporary visitor. The NASA Near Earth Object Program supports the claims in the article by providing data on the frequency of temporary captures of asteroids, emphasizing that such events are indeed common.

Comments

I like the clarification and clearing up of a potentially misleading headline!

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Please add source links and select a "rating" for every fact-check. Thanks!

Answer 2

The claim “Earth has caught a ‘second moon,’ scientist say” is technically true. NASA has confirmed that there was a ‘mini moon’ which will temporarily orbit earth from September 29th to November 25 of 2024, this is called a temporary capture. This moon turns out to be asteroid PT-5. The only classification an asteroid or planet must meet to be considered a moon is that it enters an orbit around another asteroid or planet. That being said PT-5 will be a moon of Earth for a short period of time and the article takes full advantage of this by misleading the audience to think we will have a permanent moon like the one we have today.  

Answer 3

The title of this article is misleading. Yes the earth is capturing another object in it's orbit, but no it is not a "second moon". The correct term to be used would be mini moon as it is used in the report that the article is based off of. The original research article goes into how the earth has caught other "mini moons" before, but the article never says "Second moon". Other than the mistaken terminology, the article is correct with its data, and does show the path of the asteroid. For the most part, this article is spot on with its data and how this is a somewhat common occurrence.

Comments

link to the original research article that space.com sourced: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2515-5172/ad781f