ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Did you hear about our little “mini moon”?

No, this is not a couple of newlyweds planning a little mini honeymoon. This is an astronomical event which is described as passing asteroid that will come relatively close to the Earth. The is essentially a hunk of metal and rock that is named 2024 PT5.

This asteroid will become gravitationally tethered to the Earth for about an eight week period. It is worth noting and emphasizing that it is not a threat to the Earth or the moon. This tethering will start September 29 and last a month until about Thanksgiving as it ends on November 25.

After that point the asteroid will slingshot back to the outer portions of our solar system and beyond. This piece of rock is 33 feet wide or the equivalent size of a school bus. If this asteroid were to come close to our atmosphere, or even enter the atmosphere, this would be a much bigger problem. However, all the projections show that this will stay a safe distance from the Earth and moon.

Can you actually see this “mini moon”? Using binoculars or a telescope will not help in the case. Unfortunately, the asteroid will be moving too quickly, it is too small and it is just too dark for any visualization. So I guess we are just going to have to leave this one to the professionals.