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The astronomers say 2024 PT5 should head back to Earth in the coming weeks. It is expected to pass as close as 1.8 million kilometers from Earth in January. The moon stays at a distance of about 384,000 kilometers from our planet, NASA explains. 

天文学家表示 2024 PT5 应该会在未来几周内返回地球。预计一月份它将距离地球近 180 万公里。NASA 解释说，月球距地球约 384,000 公里。

The asteroid will then move farther into the solar system while orbiting the sun. Scientists say the next time the object is expected to make another close move toward Earth is in 2055. 

然后，小行星将在绕太阳运行的同时进一步进入太阳系。科学家表示，预计该物体下次再次靠近地球是在 2055 年。 

Raul de la Fuente Marcos told the AP that 2024 PT5 was first identified in August and began its move toward Earth in late September. He said the object’s path was similar to the shape of a horseshoe. 

劳尔·德拉·富恩特·马科斯 (Raul de la Fuente Marcos) 告诉美联社，2024 PT5 于 8 月首次被发现，并于 9 月下旬开始向地球移动。他说该物体的路径类似于马蹄铁的形状。 

De la Fuente Marcos noted that by the time the asteroid returns in January, it will be moving at more than double the speed from September. Current data suggests that during its 2055 visit, it will again make a temporary and partial circle around Earth. 

德拉富恩特马科斯指出，当小行星在一月份返回时，其移动速度将是九月份的两倍多。目前的数据表明，在 2055 年访问期间，它将再次绕地球进行暂时的部分环绕。 

NASA said teams at its Center for Near Earth Object Studies had continually followed the movements of 2024 PT5. It is normal for NASA and its international partners to continuously search the skies for near-Earth objects. Such objects include asteroids and comets that come within 50 million kilometers of Earth’s orbit.

NASA 表示，其近地天体研究中心的团队一直在持续跟踪 2024 年 PT5 的动向。美国宇航局及其国际合作伙伴不断在天空中寻找近地天体是很正常的。此类天体包括距地球轨道 5000 万公里以内的小行星和彗星。 

The search system, called ATLAS, involves four different telescopes. Two of them are based in Hawaii. Another operates in Chile and the other sits in South Africa. NASA explains that ATLAS is designed to search the whole sky several times each night looking for moving objects. <