Key Takeaways
- NASA confirms Earth has a temporary “second moon” – asteroid 2025 PN7.
- The quasi-moon is 18-36 meters wide and will orbit Earth until approximately 2083.
- It was discovered by University of Hawaii astronomers and has been Earth’s companion for about 60 years.
NASA has confirmed that Earth currently hosts a temporary “second moon” – a small asteroid captured in our planet’s orbit. Designated as 2025 PN7, this celestial companion travels in near-synchronization with Earth and will continue doing so until around 2083.
What is a Quasi-Moon?
The newly confirmed object is classified as a ‘quasi-moon’ – a small asteroid temporarily sharing Earth’s orbital path. Measuring between 18 to 36 meters wide (approximately building-sized), 2025 PN7 differs significantly from our permanent Moon in both size and gravitational relationship.
Unlike our main Moon which is gravitationally bound to Earth, this temporary companion maintains a much more distant and unstable orbit. At its closest approach, it comes within 4 million kilometers of Earth (about 10 times the Moon’s distance), while at its farthest point, it drifts 17 million kilometers away.
Discovery and Significance
University of Hawaii astronomers first spotted 2025 PN7 earlier this year during routine telescope observations. What initially appeared as an indistinct dot soon revealed itself as Earth’s latest temporary satellite.
This discovery marks the eighth quasi-moon identified orbiting Earth to date. Such temporary celestial companions provide valuable insights into near-Earth gravitational dynamics and how asteroids interact with our planet’s orbital space.
These mini-moons are naturally captured objects that typically orbit for limited periods before either escaping back into space or entering Earth’s atmosphere. The dynamic nature of these temporary satellites continues to spark scientific curiosity about objects in near-Earth space.
While Earth’s primary Moon remains our dominant, brighter, and permanent natural satellite, 2025 PN7 represents a silent traveler that has temporarily joined Earth’s journey around the Sun.
