Where and How to See Earth’s ‘Second Moon’ This Fall
Dag Sundberg/Getty
As astrotourism continues to take off, more travelers are planning trips on Earth based on night sky events—from solar eclipses and rare supermoons to the annual Perseid meteor shower. And while many of us mourn the early sunsets that fall brings, the extra hours of darkness offer an opportunity to tune into the celestial movements above.
This fall, the skies will hold a special treat for attentive space aficionados: Over the next two months, Earth will have a “second moon.” Beginning on September 29, just after 4 p.m. ET, an asteroid will enter Earth’s orbit and travel in a horseshoe-shaped path around the planet until it departs on November 25, according to the Spanish scientists who first reported the phenomenon earlier this month.
What is the second moon and what is it called?
Earth's second moon is actually an asteroid named 2024 PT5. It's considered a temporary “mini moon” because moons are scientifically defined as “naturally-formed bodies that orbit planets,” per NASA Science. But to us Earthlings, it won’t look like the Moon we know and love—because it won’t be visible to the naked eye.
In fact, the second moon is so mini (approximately the size of a school bus) and so distant (some 1.5 million kilometers away) that even a normal telescope won’t be able to capture it. To see it, you’ll need a telescope at least 30 inches in diameter paired with a CCD or CMOS digital detector, Carlos de la Fuente Marcos, astronomy professor at Universidad Complutense de Madrid and co-discoverer of 2024 PT5, tells Condé Nast Traveler.
“The object is too small and dim for typical amateur telescopes and binoculars,” he says. “However, the object is well within the brightness range of typical telescopes used by professional astronomers.”
The brightness of an object in space is what determines if we can see it from Earth—the brightest star visible to the naked eye has a magnitude of 6. “When it was discovered, 2024 PT5 had a magnitude of 17,” Marcos explains. “Now it has a magnitude close to 23. The Sun has a magnitude of -26.78 and the full Moon, -12.7. The magnitude scale is inverted, the dimmer the object, the more positive the magnitude is.”
How can you see the second moon?
For those of us who lack fancy telescopes, the best way to see the second moon before it departs Earth’s orbit is by heading over to a professional space observatory with public access. Here’s a handy list of US observatories categorized by state, located in universities, nature centers, museums, dark sky preserves, and more.
There is also a handful of hotels around the world that have fully-equipped observatories on site. Before booking, contact the property to confirm their technical abilities to capture the asteroid, but rest assured—at these spectacularly remote hideaways, even a single moon is bound to impress.
Hotels with space observatories
Four Seasons Resort Lanai
Owned by tech billionaire Larry Ellison, Four Seasons Resort Lanai has spared no expense in the technical department: the Kilo Hoku observatory has a powerful 1-meter telescope (about 40 inches), large enough to capture the elusive mini moon. The observatory also hosts immersive lessons about the role of astronomy in Hawaiian Indigenous culture, including the history of traditional wayfinding and Pacific voyaging.
Kosmos Stargazing Resort & Spa
Kosmos is located in Colorado’s San Luis Valley. Far removed from light pollution, the grounds are just a 15-minute drive away from Great Sand Dunes, an International Dark Sky Park. With 20 glass-dome villas equipped with their own personal telescopes and a Stargazing Center complete with a professional-grade 1-meter telescope and on-site planetarium, you’ll be able to view the night sky unlike ever before.
Snow King Mountain
Snow King Mountain in Jackson Hole, Wyoming is home to one of the United States’ only mountainside observatories and planetariums. With a 1-meter primary mirror Planewave telescope and 4K 360-degree planetarium, you’ll be able to see views of planets, galaxies, and asteroids, including Earth's second moon. Anyone can book time at this observatory, so you can stay at your choice of Jackson’s many hotels and Airbnbs. Combined with the city’s world-class skiing and endless outdoor activities at your fingertips, a trip here promises the best planet Earth has to offer day and night.
Primland, An Auberge Resort
This rural resort tucked away in Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountains has a fully-equipped observatory with Celestron CGE Pro 1400 and CPC 800 telescopes, which are both too small to view the mini moon. Instead, plan a stay around their special stargazing events; past programming has included photography sessions of Saturn at opposition and lunar eclipse viewing. A perennial reader-favorite, Primland, An Auberge Resort has a roster of outdoor activities during daylight hours as well, from hunting and fly fishing to horseback riding and hiking.
Explora Atacama Lodge
Located in the world’s driest desert in the north of Chile—known as the “Stargazing capital of the world”—the Explora Atacama Lodge is guaranteed to be an otherworldly stay. The domed observatory’s advanced optics telescope, the Meade 16” f/10 LX200R Advanced RD with a main mirror of 40 cm in diameter, is just too small to see the second moon. But with views of the Licancabur volcano and surrounding desert landscape, guests will feel like they’ve been transported to the face of the moon itself.
Originally Appeared on Condé Nast Traveler
The Latest Travel News and Advice
Want to be the first to know? Sign up to our newsletters for travel inspiration and tips
These Are the World's Most Powerful Passports in 2024
The Oldest Country in the World Is This Microstate Tucked Inside Italy
This Rural Region in Spain is Paying Remote Workers $16,000 To Move There
