What's 2025 PN7 and why is it called Earth's second moon? All you need to know
NASA has confirmed that a small asteroid named 2025 PN7 has been orbiting alongside Earth since the 1960s and will remain our mini-moon until 2083.
Earth just got a new space buddy, a tiny rock - about 19 meters (62 feet) wide - that has been quietly trailing the planet for decades. NASA has confirmed that a small asteroid, named 2025 PN7, is officially Earth’s new “quasi-moon.”
The discovery was made by astronomers at the University of Hawaii using the Pan-STARRS observatory, which announced its find on August 29, 2025, per CNN. What is fascinating, though, is that this little traveler is not new at all. Data shows it has been looping around the Sun alongside Earth since the 1960s.
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2025 PN7, Earth's second moon
2025 PN7 is not a second moon in the true sense, but it travels so closely with our planet that it has earned an honorary title.
According to planetary.org, a quasi-moon is basically an asteroid that shares Earth’s orbital path but does not orbit us directly - like the real Moon does. Instead, it moves in its own slightly stretched loop around the Sun, always staying near our planet - like a cosmic neighbor jogging just a few steps behind.
Because it is faint and distant, it took years of sky-scanning to spot. Astronomers say 2025 PN7 will stick with us until 2083, when it will slowly drift away and continue its solo trip through space.
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Other quasi-moons over the years
This is not the first time astronomers have found a companion like this. Earth has had at least seven known quasi-moons so far. One of them is even believed to be a fragment that broke off from our actual Moon during an ancient impact.
According to research notes of the American Astronomical Society titled "Meet Arjuna 2025 PN7, the Newest Quasi-satellite of Earth,” our current quasi-satellites include 164207 Cardea (2004 GU9), 469219 Kamo‘oalewa (2016 HO3), 277810 (2006 FV35), 2013 LX28, 2014 OL339, and 2023 FW13. The newest member of that group is 2025 PN7.
When another quasi-moon, 1991 VG, was first discovered, its unusual orbit led to wild theories that it could be an alien probe, according to Dexerto. That rumor fizzled quickly, but similar intrigue resurfaced with 3I/ATLAS, a rare interstellar object that some scientists are still studying for signs of artificial origin.
So, for the next half-century or so, 2025 PN7 will be our second moon.
FAQs
What is Earth’s new quasi-moon?
A small asteroid named 2025 PN7, confirmed by NASA, is orbiting the Sun alongside Earth.
How long will 2025 PN7 stay with Earth?
NASA says it will remain near Earth until 2083 before drifting away.
How big is Earth’s new quasi-moon?
It’s about 19 meters (62 feet) wide — roughly the size of a city bus.
Has Earth had quasi-moons before?
Yes, at least seven such objects have been found, including one believed to be a fragment of our real Moon.
