2024 PT5

2024 PT₅ is a near-Earth object roughly 11 meters (36 ft) in diameter discovered by ATLAS South Africa, Sutherland on 7 August 2024, the day before approaching Earth at 568,500 km (353,200 mi).^[3]

2024 PT ₅

Discovery[1]
Discovered by	ATLAS South Africa, Sutherland
Discovery date	7 August 2024
Designations
MPC designation	2024 PT 5
Alternative designations	A119q0V
Minor planet category	NEO Apollo
Orbital characteristics[2]
Epoch 2024-Oct-17 (JD 2460600.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc	177 days
Aphelion	1.034046037 AU (Q)
Perihelion	0.990564085 AU (q)
Semi-major axis	1.012305061 AU (a)
Eccentricity	0.021476704 (e)
Orbital period (sidereal)	1.018533493 years
Mean anomaly	323.67726° (M)
Inclination	1.5205167° (i)
Longitude of ascending node	305.572361° (Ω)
Time of perihelion	2024-Nov-23.53545
Argument of perihelion	116.24843° (ω)
Earth MOID	0.00607821 AU (909,287 km; 2.36545 LD)
Jupiter MOID	3.95662 AU (591,902,000 km)
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	~ 11 m (36 ft) 5–42 meters
Synodic rotation period	≤ 1h
Absolute magnitude (H)	27.4

Orbit

The object orbits the Sun but makes slow close approaches to the Earth–Moon system. Between 29 September (19:54 UTC) and 25 November 2024 (16:43 UTC) (a period of 1 month and 27 days)^[4] it passed just outside Earth's Hill sphere (roughly 0.01 AU [1.5 million km; 0.93 million mi]) at a low relative velocity (in the range 0.002 km/s (4.5 mph) – 0.439 km/s [980 mph]) and became temporarily captured by Earth's gravity, with a geocentric orbital eccentricity of less than 1^[5] and negative geocentric orbital energy.^[6] The most recent closest approach to Earth was 8 August 2024 at roughly 567,000 km (352,000 mi) when it had a relative velocity of 1.37 km/s (3,100 mph).^[2] It also approached Earth on 9 January 2025 at roughly 1,801,158 km (1,119,188 mi) when it had a relative velocity of 1.03 km/s (2,300 mph).^[2]

On 18 August 2024 CNEOS removed 2024 PT₅ from their Sentry Risk Table, having determined it poses no risk of a potential Earth impact.^[7]

The object is expected to make another approach in 2055.^[8] This object will return to orbit around Earth in 2084 for about 43 days.^[9][10]

Animation of 2024 PT5

Around the Earth – Close approach

   2024 PT5  ·    Earth  ·    Moon

Entering and Exiting Geocentric Orbit

Epoch	Earth distance[11]	Geocentric eccentricity[5]	Apogee[5]	Orbital period[5]
2024-Sep-29	0.0230 AU (3.44 million km)	1.016	${\displaystyle \infty }$	${\displaystyle \infty }$
2024-Sep-30	0.0232 AU (3.47 million km)	0.997	2.9 AU (430 million km)	99.84 years (36,468 d)
2024-Oct-24	0.0268 AU (4.01 million km)	0.614	0.028 AU (4.2 million km)	1.35 years (493 d)
2024-Nov-25	0.0238 AU (3.56 million km)	0.983	0.72 AU (108 million km)	127.24 years (46,473 d)
2024-Nov-26	0.0236 AU (3.53 million km)	1.009	${\displaystyle \infty }$	${\displaystyle \infty }$

Physical properties

Its color indices and the spectrum obtained with Gemini North best matches lunar rock samples followed by S-complex asteroids and has a rotation period of around 0.7h.^[12] Its visible spectrum obtained with GTC is consistent with that of an Sv-type asteroid or perhaps lunar ejecta.^[10][13] Its reflectance spectrum in the range 350–2,350 nanometres (3,500–23,500 Å) obtained with LDT/IRTF is inconsistent with artificial objects and asteroids, its surface is quite red, well matched by samples of the Moon, both Maria and Highlands.^[14][15] Its spectrum is similar to that of Earth's quasi-satellite 469219 Kamoʻoalewa 2016 HO₃^[15][10] and Earth's minimoon 2022 NX₁.^[10]

In January 2025, scientists determined that 2024 PT₅ is composed of ejecta from an impact on the Moon and also determined 2024 PT₅'s orbital path was dominantly heliocentric and so should not be considered a minimoon.^[16]

See also

• 1991 VG – near-Earth asteroid temporarily captured by Earth after its discovery in 1991
• 2006 RH120 – the first temporary Earth satellite discovered in situ 2006
• 2020 CD3 – another temporary Earth satellite discovered in 2020
• 2022 NX1 – another temporary Earth satellite discovered in 2022
• 2020 SO – a suspected near-Earth object identified as a rocket booster from the 1966 Surveyor 2 mission
• 469219 Kamoʻoalewa 2016 HO₃ – a quasi-satellite of Earth of probable Lunar origin
• Arjuna asteroid