Earth Has A Second Moon? Know All About Asteroid 2025 PN7

Earth has always been with its single moon, unlike a few other planets such as Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, which have a bunch of moons. In simple terms, a moon simply means a revolving body around a planet which stays with it. Interestingly, some latest reports suggest that Earth now has two Moons instead of one!  Also Read: 7 Tips To Click Perfect Karwa Chauth At Night With Phone

Well, you might be witnessing the usual moon every other night in the sky, however, a report published in September 2025 in the academic journal Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society (RNAS), titled “Meet Arjuna 2025 PN7, the Newest Quasi-satellite of Earth,” suggest that a small asteroid, dubbed 2025 PN7, is accompanying the Earth in a rare orbital arrangement.  Also Read: Blue Origin’s Mars Telecommunications Orbiter Could Replace Ageing NASA Relays By 2028

Based on the details shared by NASA, it is a 60-foot asteroid (18.37 metres) and takes 1.01 years to complete one solar orbit. But is it really a Moon to Earth? Here is everything that we need to know. 

Earth’s Second Moon – 2025 PN7: All We Know

Interestingly, the asteroid 2025 PN7 has been orbiting Earth since the 1960s. And if the current orbital path remains stable, then it may revolve in the same manner until around 2083, becoming the quasi-moon of Earth. 

The asteroid was discovered by astronomers at the University of Hawaii during a routine sky survey. On August 29, 2025, the Pan-STARRS observatory, located atop the Haleakalā volcano, first captured its images. Follow-up observations and comparisons with older data later confirmed it as 2025 PN7.

What exactly is a quasi-moon? NASA explains that it is basically an asteroid which orbits the Sun in a special way that it looks like it is a companion to Earth. Then, is it a Moon? Exactly, not! It is not gravitationally bound to Earth, but follows a similar path around the Sun. 

Can You Spot It In The Night Sky?

Now, don’t imagine a glowing second moon lighting up the night sky! 2025 PN7 is nothing like that. It’s a small asteroid, about the size of a commercial airliner. As per the data by NASA, it comes within about 299,000 kilometres of Earth at its closest point. However, it’s still too far to be seen without high-powered telescopes.