This mini moon, officially designated as asteroid 2024 PT5, is expected to orbit Earth for almost 57 days, though it won't complete a full orbit.
Richard Binzel highlighted the rarity of spotting mini moons: 'This happens with some frequency, but we rarely see them because they're very small and very hard to detect.'
Carlos de la Fuente Marcos noted that this mini moon 'can be observed with relatively large, research-grade telescopes,' as it won't be visible to the naked eye.
The mini moon, first spotted in August, was published by the American Astronomical Society and emphasizes recent advancements in our capability to detect these celestial bodies.
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