All articles tagged with #minimoon
China's Tianwen-2 mission captured the first close-up of Kamo'oalewa, Earth's rare minimoon and quasi-satellite, after a near-billion-kilometer voyage; the mission will study the asteroid and return rock samples to Earth, potentially clarifying its origin and whether it's a fragment of the Moon.
China's Tianwen-2 mission delivered the first close-up image of Earth's rare quasi-satellite Kamoʻoalewa (2016HO3) from about 20 km away after a year-long journey. The probe will study the rock, collect samples to return to Earth, and then proceed to main-belt comet 311P, advancing our understanding of near-Earth asteroids and their origins.
A new study suggests that the temporary Earth-orbiting asteroid 2024 PT5 may have originated from the moon, possibly ejected by a collision millions of years ago. This minimoon, which has been orbiting Earth for two months, will soon leave and won't return for 30 years. Researchers found similarities between 2024 PT5 and lunar ejecta, but lack sufficient data to confirm its origin. Minimoons like 2024 PT5 are of interest for potential use in space exploration as bases for supplies and fuel.
The full moon on February 24, 2024, known as the "Snow Moon" or "Hunger Moon", will also be the smallest of the year, rising during dusk. Referred to as a "minimoon" or "micromoon" by NASA, it occurs a little over a day before apogee, when the Moon is farthest from the Earth in its orbit. The name "Snow Moon" originates from the 1930s when the Maine Farmers' Almanac began publishing "Indian" names for full Moons, with the northeastern US tribes calling it the Snow or Storm Moon due to heavy snows in the season, while "Hunger Moon" reflects the difficult hunting conditions caused by bad weather and heavy snowstorms.