Earth just gained a temporary companion in space. NASA has confirmed that a newly discovered asteroid, 2025 PN7, is officially a “quasi-moon” – a rare kind of celestial body that orbits the Sun almost perfectly in sync with our planet.
Spotted by scientists at the University of Hawaii, the small asteroid isn’t a true moon like the one we see at night. Instead, it travels alongside Earth on a near-identical orbital path, giving the illusion that our planet now has two moons.
At just 18 to 36 meters wide, 2025 PN7 is no giant – about the height of a small building. But its synchronized dance with Earth has fascinated astronomers. It’s estimated to have been following us for roughly 60 years, and if its current orbit holds, it will remain our companion until 2083 before drifting off into deep space.
Unlike our Moon, this asteroid isn’t bound to Earth’s gravity. Instead, it moves under the gravitational tug-of-war between the Sun and nearby planets, sometimes coming as close as 4 million kilometers and stretching out to 17 million kilometers at its farthest.
The discovery was made earlier this year during a routine University of Hawaii telescope survey. At first, 2025 PN7 appeared as just a faint moving dot – but further analysis revealed it was tracking Earth’s orbit almost exactly. After weeks of observation, NASA confirmed its quasi-moon status.
So far, astronomers have confirmed only eight quasi-moons in total. Each offers valuable insights into how asteroids move, how Earth’s gravity shapes its surroundings, and even how future space missions might use these nearby travelers as test grounds.
2025 PN7 may be small and temporary, but it’s earned a unique place in our solar story — a second moon, for now, keeping quiet company on Earth’s long journey around the Sun.
(Tamil Craze)
