It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s a… moon? Don’t we already have one of those?

From 29 September to 24 November 2024, the Earth will have a temporary second moon, the asteroid 2024 PT5 (Ahmad, 2024). Even though most will not be able to see it due to its miniature size—only about 10 meters across—the news still shocked many people, raising questions about how much we really know about space, how we think about astronomy, and why we care. 

The asteroid is considered a Near-Earth Object (NEO), which occurs when a small object in space becomes attracted to Earth’s gravitational field. Though most NEOs, such as small comets and asteroids, only stay in Earth’s orbit for a short time and are not observable, NASA tracks nearly 30,000 NEOs to ensure they will not crash into Earth.¹ 2024 PT5 is of particular interest because of its colloquial status as a “mini-moon,” as it exhibits a  prolonged orbit and is suspected to have originated from our own “permanent” moon. 

With this awe-inspiring phenomenon came a slew of false information about the asteroid, doubts concerning scientists’ trustworthiness, and widespread curiosity about the dynamic nature of the universe³. A combination of today’s rapid, widespread communication and the millennia-old fascination with celestials sparked much public discussion about the asteroid. As information about the mini-moon spread, false information about collisions, visibility, and appearance of the moon circulated over social media. This false information, combined with contradictory reports from news outlets in the early stages of identifying and publicizing this event, caused some to doubt the credibility of scientists. However, it also kindled curiosity, as many people were excited by the prospect of a significant, albeit imperceptible, change in our night sky.

How does the process and wealth of knowledge acquired by the scientific process change over time? How do phenomena like this influence how scientists conduct research and apply it to real-world events? These questions lead us to wonder how the dynamic nature of natural phenomena and the acquisition of knowledge affect public perceptions of science-driven policy.

As demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic and the resistance to accepting germ theory, science and people’s perceptions of it continually change. For example, during the pandemic, epidemiologists, biochemists, and economists were scrutinized by popular media such as FOX and CNN due to the constant updates, contradictions, and uncertainty surrounding information². People were confused and angry because they expected experts to have all the answers; learning in real-time that science can be wrong, sometimes with disastrous consequences, was terrifying for the public. 

Science is a dynamic process of acquiring information rather than the static collection of the information itself. Scientists synthesize and analyze information to understand the intricacies of the world and, yet, are expected to have answers when thrust to the forefront of political discussions.

Scientific research presented as a dynamic process instead of cold, hard facts is often scary and confusing, but it can also be fascinating. Unusual natural phenomena, as with the temporary moon, can be awe-inspiring and demonstrate how research, universal events, and the entirety of human knowledge are ever-changing. The temporary moon serves as a lesson on not only how powerful nature can be but also how we approach understanding it.

References

1. Ahmad, M. (2024, October 1). Earth has a new Mini-moon. how you can try to see it while it’s here. North Jersey Media Group. https://www.northjersey.com/story/news/2024/10/01/earth-mini-moon-how-to-see-it-and-what-to-know/75454567007/
2. Hearing wrap up: Americans witnessed a breakdown of scientific debate during COVID-19. United States House Committee on Oversight and Accountability. (2024, April 17). https://oversight.house.gov/release/hearing-wrap-up-americans-witnessed-a-breakdown-of-scientific-debate-during-covid-19/ 
3. Morgan, K. (2024, September 26). Earth’s second ‘Mini Moon’: What to know | kagstv.com. https://www.kagstv.com/article/news/verify/science-verify/earth-temporary-second-mini-moon-what-to-know/536-c9aa2874-e983-4f87-9b22-6513671a6345 
4. Schneid, R. (2024, September 18). Earth is temporarily getting a second moon. Time. https://time.com/7022535/earth-second-moon-temporary/