Archive · 24 Jul 2025
Earth Has Six Mini-Moons From Moon Asteroid Collisions
Imagine our Moon gets hit by space rocks, and tiny pieces break off.
These pieces, called mini-moons, get caught by Earth's pull.
They are like very small moons orbiting Earth for a few years before they go on their own journey around the Sun or even crash.
Scientists believe there are at least six mini-moons around Earth at all times.
They study these mini-moons to learn more about space.
Scientists have found Earth has at least six mini-moons orbiting it at any given time.
These mini-moons are debris from the Moon caused by asteroid collisions.
The mini-moons are around six feet in diameter and caught in Earth's gravity.
The debris orbits Earth for years before escaping into the Sun's gravity.
Scientists studied Kamo'oalewa and 2024 PT5 to understand mini-moons.
- Who
- Scientists from the US, Italy, Germany, Finland, and Sweden.
- What
- Scientists have discovered that Earth has at least six mini-moons.
- When
- The study was recently published.
- Where
- These mini-moons orbit Earth.
- Why
- To understand more about mini moons, which are debris from the Moon.
Scientific belief
New Research
Origin of Mini Moons
Scientific belief
Every mini moon comes from the solar system's asteroid belt.
New Research
Mini moons come from the moon.
- Mini-moon Diameter
- Around 6 feet
- Number of Mini-moons
- At least six at any time
- Origin
- Lunar debris from asteroid impacts
- Orbit Duration
- Years
- Study Published In
- Icarus
- Examples Studied
- Kamo'oalewa and 2024 PT5