Scientists have confirmed the discovery of a new quasi-moon, 2025 PN7, a small asteroid that will shadow Earth’s orbit for more than a century before being pulled away by the sun’s gravity, according to a September study from the American Astronomical Society.

What is 2025 PN7, and how was it discovered?

The 2025 PN7 asteroid was discovered on Aug. 2 at the Pan-STARRS observatory in Hawaii, officially labeling it as a “quasi-moon.” These objects are part of a celestial companion called the Arjuna asteroid group, a cluster of near-Earth asteroids that orbit the sun in nearly the same path as Earth.

Does Earth have two moons?

The asteroid may not be a second moon, but it follows a similar orbit around the sun, closely shadowing Earth. Scientists have estimated that 2025 PN7 is about 18 to 36 meters wide, which may seem small, but it is in proximity to Earth, according to Yahoo!. It also dispels rumors that Earth has two moons, which many people believed after NASA revealed the new findings this week.

Researchers believe the asteroid has been orbiting in its current state for 60 years and is expected to remain near Earth’s orbit for about 126 years. After that, the object will depart sometime in 2083 due to the sun’s gravitational pull and drift back into space.

How long will 2025 PN7 orbit Earth?

Data from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory confirmed that 2025 PN7 follows a pattern similar to that of another asteroid, Kamo’oalewa. It will remain a quasi-satellite for about 128 years, compared to Kamo’oalewa’s 381 years, according to the study, making it a short-term companion. Additionally, scientists have compared the asteroid to six other known quasi-satellites:

-Cardea (2004 GU9)

-Kamo’oalewa (2016 HO3)

-277810 (2006 FV35)

-2013 LX28

-2014 OL339

-2023 FW13

The origins of 2025 PN7 remain unclear. Co-author Carlos de la Fuente of Complutense University of Madrid noted that scientists have “no real hints about its origins, only speculations,” according to NorthJersey.com.

Scientists have discovered other asteroids orbiting Earth

In February, Blavity reported that an asteroid had a 2% chance of colliding with Earth in 2032. The object, known as asteroid 2024 YR4, was first spotted on Dec. 27 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System in Río Hurtado, Chile, NASA and the European Space Agency confirmed at the time.

“An asteroid this size impacts Earth on average every few thousand years and could cause severe damage to a local region,” according to the ESA.

Researchers are closely monitoring the asteroid and believe it has a 98% chance of missing Earth on Dec. 22, 2032.

American Astronomical Society

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