Earth has not one, but two moons? NASA confirms big discovery; What is the Quasi-Moon that will stay for 50 years, it is…
Earth has always been said to have only one moon, the moon that lights up our nights, controls the tides, and has been a human companion throughout civilization. The Moon inspired myths, helped sailors navigate, and continues to astound astronomers. But NASA recently discovered that Earth is not traveling alone through space.
In addition to our Moon, Earth has a second, much smaller companion: a quasi-moon. The Earth has not just one, but two moons. No, this isn’t a storyline from science fiction. It’s actually happening. Astronomers have discovered an additional companion of our planet that is set to be alongside us for at least 50 years.
What is 2025 PN7?
This small asteroid, known as 2025 PN7, will be orbiting close to the Earth for five decades. It is being dubbed a mini-moon, though scientists clarify that it is not a moon like our natural Moon, but more a quasi-moon. According to the media reports, 2025 PN7 will orbit the Sun in a path and speed that is nearly identical to that of Earth, giving the illusion that it is revolving around the Earth.
Discovered in August 2025, the 19-meter-wide asteroid is likely to be in Earth’s orbit until after 2083, and then will slowly move towards outer space. According to the media reports, 2025 PN7 has been traveling on a trajectory close to Earth’s orbit for the past few decades. Due to its small size and faint appearance, it had gone undetected until now.
What is a quasi-moon and how is it different from our natural Moon?
This space object is expected to remain gravitationally bound to Earth, according to astronomers’ estimates, until about the year 2083. Scientists are tracking its trajectory to determine how much longer it will remain in this temporary orbit around Earth.
NASA has verified that the object is on a path that is near Earth and is likely to remain in this quasi-orbit through roughly 2083. In the larger solar system, Saturn has the most moons, with 146 known natural satellites. In early 2025, astronomers found 128 more small moons, bringing Saturn’s total to 274 and overtaking Jupiter’s 95 moons. Jupiter briefly took the title of the most moons before Saturn’s discovery, but the title now belongs to Saturn once again. According to CNN, on August 29, 2025, astronomers at the University of Hawaii using the Pan-STARRS observatory discovered this mysterious small traveler.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- This small asteroid, known as 2025 PN7, will be orbiting close to the Earth for five decades.
- It is being dubbed a mini-moon, though scientists clarify that it is not a moon like our natural Moon.
- Discovered in August 2025, the 19-meter-wide asteroid is likely to be in Earth’s orbit until after 2083.
- Scientists are tracking its trajectory to determine how much longer it will remain in this temporary orbit around Earth.
As explained by planetary.org, a quasi-moon is essentially an asteroid that accompanies Earth in its orbit path but never truly orbits the Earth, unlike our real Moon. It instead travels in its own somewhat elongated loop around the Sun and gravitationally near the Earth – almost like a cosmic neighbor jogging just a few steps back.
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