Rahul Somvanshi
A small space rock discovered in 2023 has sparked excitement among scientists who suggest it’s likely a piece of our Moon. The asteroid, named 2024 PT5, measures 33 feet across and follows an unusual path near Earth without actually orbiting our planet.
“We had a general idea that this asteroid may have come from the Moon, but the smoking gun was when we found out that it was rich in silicate minerals,” explains Teddy Kareta, an astronomer at Lowell Observatory who led the research. These minerals match those found in lunar rock samples rather than typical asteroids.
The discovery came through the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), part of the University of Hawaii’s network of telescopes that watch for near-Earth objects. While small asteroids often pass by Earth, this one caught scientists’ attention because of its unique orbit that nearly matches Earth’s path around the Sun.
What makes this space rock special is its composition. Using the Lowell Discovery Telescope and NASA’s Infrared Telescope Facility in Hawaii, researchers found that when sunlight bounces off 2024 PT5, it reflects light in a way that precisely matches moon rocks brought back by Apollo missions.
Scientists believe this chunk of the Moon was knocked loose thousands of years ago when something crashed into the lunar surface. The impact was powerful enough to launch the rock into space, where it settled into its current path.
Similar Posts
Oscar Fuentes-Muñoz, a NASA postdoctoral fellow, helped confirm this wasn’t just space junk like old rocket parts. When sunlight hits objects in space, it gives them a tiny push. Empty rocket boosters move like “tin cans in the wind,” but 2024 PT5 barely budges, showing it’s made of dense moon rock.
This discovery is particularly valuable because it’s only the second confirmed lunar fragment found in near-Earth space. The first, named 469219 Kamoʻoalewa, was spotted in 2016. Together, these objects are helping scientists understand how impacts shape the Moon’s surface and what happens to the pieces that break away.
The findings could reveal new details about the Moon’s composition. When impacts blast away pieces of the Moon, they can provide scientists with new samples to study.
New observatories are coming online every year that could help spot additional lunar fragments in space. Each new discovery adds to our understanding of the Moon’s history and its ongoing relationship with Earth.
While 2024 PT5 poses no danger to Earth, it serves as a reminder that pieces of our cosmic neighbor are still making their way through space, carrying clues about the Moon’s violent past and its influence on our planet’s development.
