You’ve looked up at the night sky your entire life and seen that big, glowing white rock. It’s consistent. It’s comforting. It’s "The Moon." But lately, you might have seen headlines or TikToks claiming we actually have a second one. Maybe even a third. It sounds like science fiction or a glitch in the matrix, honestly. So, does earth have 2 moons or are we just getting clickbaited by astronomers who are bored?
The answer is kinda complicated.
If you mean a permanent, massive companion that’s been here for billions of years, then no. We’ve only got the one. But if you’re talking about "mini-moons," "quasi-satellites," or "ghost moons," then yeah, Earth’s gravitational neighborhood is actually pretty crowded. It’s not just a lonely dance between us and Luna. We are constantly picking up hitchhikers.
The 2024 PT5 Situation: Our Temporary Guest
In late 2024, the internet went a bit wild because of an object called 2024 PT5. Researchers from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, specifically Carlos de la Fuente Marcos and Raúl de la Fuente Marcos, identified this tiny asteroid. It wasn't some world-ending threat. It was basically a space rock about 33 feet wide.
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For about two months, this little guy got caught in Earth's gravitational pull. It didn't complete a full, beautiful orbit like our main Moon. Instead, it performed what scientists call a "horseshoe orbit." It swung by, stayed for a coffee, and then got flung back out into the solar system.
This happens way more often than you'd think. We just didn't have the telescope tech to see them clearly until recently. These are "mini-moons." They are visitors. They don't stay for the long haul, but for a few weeks or months, they technically qualify as a second moon. 2024 PT5 came from the Arjuna asteroid belt, a sparse collection of rocks that follow an orbit very similar to Earth's. Because they move at speeds close to ours, Earth's gravity can "snag" them easily.
Cruithne: The Asteroid That Thinks It’s a Moon
Then there’s 3753 Cruithne. If you ask some amateur astronomers does earth have 2 moons, they might point to this weirdo. Discovered in 1986, Cruithne is about 3 miles wide. It doesn't orbit Earth in a circle. It actually orbits the Sun.
But here is the kicker: its orbit is so perfectly synced with Earth's that, from our perspective, it looks like it’s following us in a bean-shaped path. It’s what we call a quasi-satellite. It’s been hanging around for at least 5,000 years and will probably stay there for another 5,000. It’s like that friend who follows you to every party but stays in a different room. You’re always together, but you aren't actually walking side-by-side.
Cruithne is just one of several. There’s also 2016 HO3, which NASA officially dubbed a "constant companion." It’s been looping around us for a century and will keep doing so for centuries more. Is it a moon? Officially, no. Functionally? It’s pretty close.
Why We Don't Just Call Them Moons
Size matters.
Our Moon is roughly 2,159 miles in diameter. It’s massive. It controls our tides, stabilizes our planet's tilt, and literally makes life as we know it possible. These other objects are pebbles by comparison. Most "mini-moons" are the size of a city bus or a small house. Calling them "moons" feels like calling a mosquito a "second pet" because it’s been buzzing in your bedroom for three days.
The International Astronomical Union (IAU) is pretty strict about these definitions. To be a moon, an object generally needs to be in a stable, long-term orbit around a planet. Most of these "second moons" are just passing through. They are transients.
The Dust Moons: Kordylewski Clouds
Now, let's get even weirder. Have you heard of the Kordylewski clouds?
In the 1960s, a Polish astronomer named Kazimierz Kordylewski claimed he saw faint patches of dust at the L4 and L5 Lagrange points of the Earth-Moon system. Lagrange points are basically gravitational "sweet spots" where the pull of the Earth and the Moon cancel each other out. If you put something there, it stays there.
For decades, people thought he was seeing things. But in 2018, a team of Hungarian astronomers and physicists used polarized filters to confirm that these dust clouds actually exist. They are massive—about nine times wider than Earth—but they are made of tiny particles of dust, not solid rock.
Technically, these are "ghost moons." They aren't solid, but they are gravitationally trapped by us. If you had super-vision, you’d see two massive, faint glows in the sky. It’s wild to think that we’ve been surrounded by these "moons" and just couldn't prove it for fifty years.
The Hunt for the "Other" Moon
The search for a second moon isn't new. In the 19th century, Frederic Petit, the director of the Toulouse Observatory, claimed he had found one. He thought it orbited Earth every 2 hours and 44 minutes. He was wrong. It was probably just atmospheric interference or a very confused bird.
Later, a guy named Georg Waltemath claimed he found a whole system of mini-moons in the late 1800s. He even predicted when they would pass in front of the Sun. When they didn't show up, his credibility evaporated. Even Jules Verne got in on the action, mentioning a second moon in his novel Around the Moon.
The reason people are so obsessed with finding a second moon is simple: resources.
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If we have a "second moon" that is actually a captured asteroid, it’s a goldmine. Asteroids are packed with precious metals like platinum, gold, and iridium. They also have water ice. If we can land on a mini-moon, we can use it as a refueling station. It’s way easier to launch a rocket from a tiny asteroid with almost no gravity than it is to launch from the Moon or Earth.
What This Means for the Future of Space Travel
We are getting better at finding these things. The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile, which is coming online soon, is going to be a game-changer. It has a massive camera that can survey the entire sky every few nights.
Astronomers expect that once Rubin is fully operational, we might find a new "mini-moon" every few months. The question does earth have 2 moons might soon have a very different answer. We might realize we have dozens of tiny, rotating companions that come and go like seasons.
Imagine a future where we don't go to "The Moon" for research, but we hop between "Moon 2," "Moon 3," and "Moon 4" to mine resources or build telescopes. These temporary moons are the perfect practice ground for deep-space missions. They are close, small, and scientifically fascinating.
Getting Your Eyes on the "Second Moon"
Can you see them? Probably not.
Most mini-moons like 2024 PT5 are incredibly dim. You’d need a professional-grade telescope or long-exposure astrophotography to even get a speck of light. They are usually around magnitude 22 or 25—way too faint for the naked eye, which usually taps out at magnitude 6.
But that doesn't mean they aren't real.
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How to Track Space Rocks
- Follow the Minor Planet Center (MPC): This is the official clearinghouse for all small body discoveries in the solar system.
- Use Apps: SkySafari and other high-end astronomy apps often update their databases with newly discovered near-Earth objects (NEOs).
- Check NASA’s Eyes on Asteroids: This is a 3D real-time visualization tool. You can see exactly where 2024 PT5 or Cruithne are in relation to Earth right now.
The Verdict on Earth's Moons
So, let's settle this.
Does Earth have 2 moons?
If you’re a traditionalist: No. We have one.
If you’re a scientist: We have one permanent moon and a rotating cast of "guest" moons that stay for a few months before leaving.
If you’re looking at gravity: We have several "quasi-satellites" that follow us around the sun like loyal dogs.
Nature doesn't really care about our labels. The space around Earth is dynamic. It’s messy. It’s full of debris, dust, and wandering rocks. We aren't just a planet and a moon; we are a complex system of gravitational pulls that catch all sorts of things.
The next time someone tells you Earth has a second moon, don't roll your eyes. They aren't entirely wrong. They’re just talking about a space rock that’s decided to hang out with us for a little while.
Your "Mini-Moon" Checklist
- Don't panic: None of these temporary moons are on a collision course with Earth. If they were, they’d be called "meteors," not moons.
- Stay updated: Check NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) website every few months. New captures are being discovered more frequently as our sensors improve.
- Think big: These tiny rocks are the future "gas stations" of the solar system. Their presence makes Mars missions more feasible.
Keep looking up. You might only see one moon, but there’s a whole lot more going on in the dark spaces between the stars. The "second moon" might be gone by next year, but there’s always another one waiting to be caught in our orbit.
What to do next:
If you're curious about these objects, your best bet is to dive into the NASA JPL Small-Body Database. You can search for specific objects like 2024 PT5 or 2016 HO3 to see their current trajectory. Alternatively, if you own a telescope, look into joining a "citizen science" program like the Target NEOs project, where amateur astronomers help professional scientists track these small, elusive companions. It’s a great way to actually contribute to our understanding of the rocks that occasionally become Earth's second moon.