Colorado Skies: Will You See the Second Moon Next Month?

One is cool, but is two twice is nice? Earth is set to get a second moon at the end of this month, but will we be able to see it Colorado? Here's all we know...

What Is A Second Moon?

Earth, as far as most people know, only has one permanent moon. However, occasionally there are various asteroids and/or celestial objects that come into orbit around our planet. These are more commonly called "mini-moons," which can be a tad confusing.

The last and most notable example happened back in the fall of 2006. That asteroid was called  RH120, which orbited Earth for about a year before returning to its original path outside of Earth's gravitational pull.

This "mini moon" that's currently on its way towards Earth has been named 2024 PT5, and is expected to be orbiting around Earth from September 29th until November 25th, so only about 56 days. Question is though, can it be seen it in the Colorado skies without special equipment?

Can You See Earth's Second Moon From Colorado?

While it would be quite pretty cool to see an extra moon high above in the Colorado skies, it doesn't sound like you'll be able to look up and see it with the naked eye. ABC News spoke with Astrophysics Professor Adam Frank about the possibilities of seeing it in without any special gear, who said...

Unfortunately we won't be able to see the mini-moon with the naked eye because it is pretty small. You're gonna need a telescope, [but] even then it may be pretty difficult, given its distance.

Basically if you have a telescope, you might be able to see 2004 PT5, but it doesn't sound too likely. Technically we'll have two moons since the asteroid will be orbiting the Earth similarly to our moon, but its visibility won't be very high. Still cool none-the-less!