Asteroid 2025 PN7 is a small near-Earth object and a newly identified quasi-moon of Earth, meaning it shares Earth’s orbit around the Sun but is not gravitationally bound like the true Moon.
Discovered by the University of Hawaii in August 2025, 2025 PN7 is roughly 19 meters (62 feet) in diameter and has been orbiting in this quasi-moon pattern—pacing Earth’s orbit—since about the 1950s or 60 years ago.
Asteroid 2025 PN7
It is not a “second moon” in the conventional sense but a cosmic companion that appears to follow Earth due to its similar orbital period around the Sun.
Its closest approach to Earth is about 299,000 km, while at times it drifts tens of millions of kilometers away, keeping a safe distance that poses no threat to Earth. It will likely continue to orbit Earth in this manner until around 2083, after which it will leave its quasi-moon orbit.
2025 PN7 poses no danger to Earth—it is too far away to influence tides, gravity, or daily life, and it does not come close enough to pose any collision risk.
Its primary significance lies in scientific research, providing astronomers with insights into asteroid orbits, near-Earth dynamics, and the history of Earth’s vicinity in space.
In summary, while it is intriguing as a “second moon” or mini-moon, 2025 PN7 is harmless and offers valuable opportunities to study near-Earth objects.
