Despite a wave of viral social media claims suggesting that Earth has suddenly acquired a second moon, astronomers confirm that our planet still has just one true lunar companion. The object behind the online frenzy is actually a recently discovered “quasi moon,” or more precisely, a quasi satellite, officially designated 2025 PN7.
The American Astronomical Society announced that 2025 PN7 was first detected in August by the Pan-STARRS Observatory in Hawaii using a 6-foot telescope perched high on a Maui mountaintop. Rather than orbiting Earth, the object travels alongside it in a synchronized path around the sun — moving in parallel but not bound by Earth’s gravity.
Such quasi-satellites are rare but not unprecedented. Astronomers say 2025 PN7 has been accompanying Earth since the 1960s and is expected to continue doing so for another six decades. Its existence highlights the complex gravitational dance between Earth, the sun, and small near-Earth asteroids.
Although it has generated plenty of curiosity, 2025 PN7 poses no threat. NASA estimates the object is roughly 20 million miles away — about 70 times farther than the real moon — and only about 40 to 100 feet wide. Even if it ever veered closer, scientists say it would not approach at a speed or size that could cause any harm.
As for visibility, skywatchers won’t be seeing it without advanced equipment. With a magnitude of 26.36, it is far too dim for the naked eye or even most telescopes to detect. Researchers have confirmed it is a natural object, not discarded space debris, and likely composed of rocky material consistent with other small near-Earth asteroids.
Source: Phila. Inquirer