According to a September 2025 study published by the American Astronomical Society, scientists have confirmed that a newly discovered asteroid — 2025 PN7 — has joined Earth’s orbital path as what astronomers call a “quasi-moon.”
In short:
🌕 Earth still has one real moon — the bright, beautiful orb about 239,000 miles away.
🪐 But it’s currently being accompanied by a small cosmic traveler, 2025 PN7, that’s temporarily caught in Earth’s gravitational rhythm.
🚀 What Exactly Is a Quasi-Moon?
A quasi-moon isn’t a “second moon” in the true sense. Instead, it’s an asteroid that orbits the Sun just like Earth does, staying in sync with our planet as it circles the solar system — almost like a celestial shadow following us around.
These space rocks aren’t gravitationally bound to Earth like the Moon is. Instead, they drift in and out of our orbit, occasionally tagging along before the Sun eventually pulls them away.
Astronomers say 2025 PN7 is expected to hang around until the year 2083, when it will finally drift off into deeper space.
🛰️ Discovery of 2025 PN7
On August 2, 2025, scientists at the Pan-STARRS Observatory in Hawaii detected 2025 PN7 after noticing its orbit was nearly identical to Earth’s. Interestingly, researchers believe it has been following this path since the 1950s — but only recently was it recognized as a quasi-moon.
“It’s too early to tell where it came from,” said Carlos de la Fuentes, an astronomer at the Complutense University of Madrid and co-author of the discovery study. “There are no solid hints about its origins — only speculation.”
🌒 How Big Is It? Can You See It?
Don’t expect to spot 2025 PN7 lighting up the night sky. The asteroid is tiny — about 52 feet wide, roughly the size of a city bus. It’s far too small and dim to be visible to the naked eye, even with binoculars.
For comparison, the famous asteroid Apophis — 1,150 feet wide — will be visible to the naked eye when it flies by Earth in 2029.
🌌 Earth’s History With Quasi-Moons
This isn’t the first time Earth has picked up a cosmic sidekick. Astronomers have tracked several quasi-moons and mini-moons over the years:
Kamoʻoalewa, discovered in 2016, may actually be a piece of our Moon knocked loose by a meteor impact.
2024 PT5, a “mini-moon,” briefly orbited Earth last year before drifting off within weeks.
Mini-moons orbit Earth directly and are short-lived, while quasi-moons orbit the Sun in sync with Earth and can linger for decades — or even centuries.
☀️ What Happens in 2083?
Astronomers predict that in 2083, 2025 PN7 will leave its current orbit and continue its solo journey around the Sun, officially ending its “moonlike” relationship with Earth.
Until then, this small asteroid will remain one of our planet’s closest cosmic companions.
🌠 Is It Dangerous?
No — 2025 PN7 poses absolutely no threat to Earth. NASA classifies near-Earth objects (NEOs) that approach within 30 million miles of our planet, but this one is harmless. Scientists actually welcome such visitors because they provide valuable clues about how the inner solar system formed.
🧭 The Bottom Line
So, does Earth really have two moons?
Not exactly.
We still have one natural satellite — but thanks to 2025 PN7, we’ve temporarily gained a fascinating cosmic companion tagging along for the ride until 2083.
Space never stops surprising us. 🌌