A New ‘Mini Moon’ Near Earth? Scientists Reveal It’s an Asteroid, Not a Real Moon!
According to astronomers, there are several quasi-moons in Earth’s neighborhood. 2025 PN7 was detected on August 29 by the Pan-STARRS Observatory in Hawaii. A review of earlier astronomical data suggests that this faint and small asteroid has been orbiting near Earth for decades, but its dim nature kept it hidden until now.
In a fascinating discovery, astronomers have identified a small celestial body orbiting close to Earth. Unlike our natural Moon, this newly spotted object is not a true satellite but an asteroid — officially named 2025 PN7.
What makes it remarkable is that, like Earth, this asteroid also takes one year to complete its journey around the Sun.
Such space rocks are known as “quasi-moons”. They are different from “mini-moons”, which temporarily circle Earth for a short duration. For example, 2024 PT5, a mini-moon spotted last year, orbited Earth for just two months before drifting away. Scientists believe it could have been a fragment that broke away from the Moon itself.
According to astronomers, there are several quasi-moons in Earth’s neighborhood. 2025 PN7 was detected on August 29 by the Pan-STARRS Observatory in Hawaii. A review of earlier astronomical data suggests that this faint and small asteroid has been orbiting near Earth for decades, but its dim nature kept it hidden until now.
Researchers revealed that at its closest approach, the asteroid comes within 300,000 kilometers of Earth — almost the same distance as our Moon. They also predict that this “tiny moon” will continue to stay near Earth’s orbit for at least the next 60 years.
