An asteroid called 2025 PN7 will share Earth's orbit until at least 2083, according to a study published in the journal IOP Science.
As Cornell University astronomy professor Phil Nicholson explained, quasi-moons are not real satellites. They do not revolve around the Earth, although sometimes it seems that way. In fact, they move around the Sun like regular asteroids, but in orbits very similar to Earth's. Sometimes such objects “accompany” the Earth for years or decades, Nicholson said.
Zoe Ponterio, manager of Cornell University's Center for Planetary Imaging, said the quasi-moon got its name because it appears to orbit the Earth, although it is actually an optical illusion.
The asteroid's orbit is oval, which is why it either approaches the Sun and moves faster than the Earth, or moves away and slows down. This creates the effect that it is circling the Earth itself.
Over time, the trajectory of 2025 PN7 will change – it will move to the so-called horseshoe orbit, when it will seem to swing in the sky, approaching Earth and moving away again.
According to astrophysicists from Northeastern University, six more similar quasi-moons – temporary satellites accompanying the planet for some time – were previously recorded near the Earth.
Asteroid 2025 PN7 was first observed on August 29, 2025 by the Pan-STARRS telescope at Haleakala Observatory (Hawaii). However, an analysis of old observations showed that the object could have been in its current orbit for more than 60 years.
Scientists note that quasi-moons are usually very small and dim, and cannot be seen without a powerful telescope. According to NASA, 2025 PN7 is only 26 magnitudes bright, making it unobservable with the naked eye. Therefore, people on Earth will not see the “second Moon”.
