Two Moon Theory? New Asteroid, 2025 PN7, discovered orbiting Earth
The newly discovered asteroid 2025 PN7 is classified as Earth’s “quasi-moon” or quasi-satellite. Discovered by the Pan-STARRS observatory in Hawaii on August 2, 2025, it is a small near-Earth asteroid about 18-36 meters wide that shares Earth’s orbital path around the Sun in a synchronized 1:1 resonance. This means it does not orbit Earth directly like the natural Moon but follows a similar orbit around the Sun, appearing from Earth’s perspective as if it is orbiting the planet.
2025 PN7 has been orbiting alongside Earth since the 1960s and is expected to continue this complex orbital dance until approximately 2083. It belongs to the Arjuna class of asteroids, characterized by orbits very similar to Earth’s. Over this time, it stays relatively close, sometimes within about 299,000 km from Earth, but it is not gravitationally bound to Earth as a true moon is.
The asteroid’s discovery adds to the understanding that Earth has multiple quasi-moons or quasi-satellites — these are temporary companions that orbit the Sun in sync with Earth but are not permanent moons. 2025 PN7 is one of the smallest and least stable such companions known and will eventually drift away from Earth’s vicinity after 2083 due to gravitational influences.
2025 PN7 is a small asteroid that acts as a temporary quasi-moon of Earth, sharing Earth’s orbit around the Sun without being a true gravitational satellite, and will remain Earth’s companion until the late 21st century.
