NASA has confirmed the existence of a new celestial companion to Earth, designated as asteroid 2025 PN7. This small space rock has been in a near-synchronized orbit with our planet for around sixty years and is expected to continue this relationship until approximately 2083.
Although 2025 PN7 is not classified as an official moon, it exhibits characteristics akin to a “quasi-moon.” It orbits the Sun in close alignment with Earth, appearing to trail our planet through space. The initial discovery of this asteroid was made by the University of Hawaii, with subsequent validation by researchers at the Complutense University of Madrid, who released their findings in September.
According to lead researcher Carlos de la Fuente Marcos, “This little rock has probably been tagging along for around 60 years. It”s only now that we”ve had the sensitivity to detect it properly.” Measuring between 18 and 36 meters in diameter, 2025 PN7 is comparable in size to a small building. Its closest approach to Earth allows it to come within roughly 4 million kilometers, significantly closer than our Moon, which orbits at an average distance of 384,000 kilometers.
The asteroid”s faintness and relatively small size contributed to its previous invisibility. “It is small, faint and surprising in how long it has remained hidden,” de la Fuente Marcos remarked. “Its visibility windows from Earth were limited, so it”s not shocking it escaped notice.”
First detected on August 2, 2025, by the Pan-STARRS1 Observatory in Hawaii, archival data indicates that 2025 PN7 has been accompanying Earth for decades. The formal announcement of this finding was made in the Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society.
Amateur astronomer Adrien Coffinet played a crucial role in highlighting the asteroid”s unusual orbit, analyzing data and sharing his observations in late August. The asteroid is categorized within the Arjuna class, a specific group of near-Earth objects that maintain Earth-like orbits characterized by low tilt and eccentricity.
Models suggest that 2025 PN7 has maintained a stable quasi-satellite orbit since the mid-1950s, making it a consistent companion for the foreseeable future. However, scientists project that gravitational interactions with other celestial bodies may alter its trajectory around 2083.
While the notion of a “second moon” may sound intriguing, experts emphasize that 2025 PN7 poses no threat to Earth. Its small size means that it would either burn up or fragment in the atmosphere long before it could impact the surface. The real scientific value lies in the insights gained from studying how small bodies operate in Earth-like orbits, which could inform future space missions.
The identification of 2025 PN7 brings the known count of Earth”s quasi-moons to eight. Each of these objects provides researchers with valuable data regarding orbital dynamics and the behavior of near-Earth objects under the influence of solar and terrestrial gravitational fields.
“In a way, this is a natural laboratory for studying how small asteroids hitch-a-ride with Earth,” de la Fuente Marcos stated. “It helps us grasp how the solar system tinkers with objects in our vicinity — and how Earth”s gravity plays choreographer.”
As Earth continues its journey with this silent companion over the next sixty years, 2025 PN7 may not affect tides or human endeavors, but it offers a unique opportunity to observe a cosmic relationship that has largely gone unnoticed. While it appears to loop around our planet, it is actually in orbit around the Sun, maintaining a steady pace alongside Earth.
As advancements in telescope technology and data sensitivity improve, astronomers anticipate discovering more quasi-moons that may currently be hidden in plain sight. For now, 2025 PN7 stands out as our most recent and elusive space neighbor.
