Earth has a hidden moon that has been sharing its orbit since the 1960s, researchers claim
A new astronomical body has been detected around Earth, and experts are stunned. The discovery, a quasi-moon named 2025 PN7, has shocked everyone, as it has supposedly been sharing Earth's orbit for around seven decades. Findings regarding this quasi-moon have been published in Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society. The quasi-moon was detected by the Pan-STARRS Observatory in Haleakalā, Hawai'i, in the constellation Piscis Austrinus, or the Southern Fish. Upon further investigation, experts concluded that the object poses no threat to life on Earth.
What is 2025 PN7?
Researchers claim that 2025 PN7 never truly orbited the Earth; it actually shares the orbit of Earth around the sun, according to Daily Galaxy. The pattern in which this body moves on the orbit keeps it relatively close to Earth at all times. The arrangement seems that the quasi-moon accompanies Earth, without being gravitationally bound to it. 2025 PN7 maintains a long-term orbital resonance with Earth to maintain its trajectory. The quasi-moon is just temporarily captured by the Earth's gravity. 2025 PN7 is one of the only seven of its kind known to experts worldwide.
Discovery of 2025 PN7
2025 PN7 was discovered by the Pan-STARRS Observatory on August 29, 2025, according to EarthSky. After the detection, researchers looked into past data and concluded that the quasi-moon has been in Earth's orbit since the 1960s, and will possibly continue for another six decades, after which the sun's force will push it out of the orbit. To date, it has avoided detection, as it is exceedingly dim at a magnitude of 26, which is beyond the capabilities of most typical telescopes to capture.
The object is also tiny at 62 feet in diameter, which makes the pursuit even more difficult. Researchers conducted several investigations on this quasi-moon and concluded from its speed that the object must have once been a part of the belt between Mars and Jupiter. It used to travel in a horseshoe orbit, but then over the years, its trajectory changed to the present-day quasi-state.
Future Visits in 2025 PN7
After analysis, researchers discovered that the object has been orbiting between 2.8 million miles and 37.2 million miles from Earth, according to Forbes. To find more about this quasi-moon, the team believes the Southern Hemisphere is the best for observations, as the object is visible from that part. It is one of the only seven quasi-moons present in Earth's orbit. Considering the closeness of these bodies to Earth, it would be easy to send a spacecraft to them. Astronomers have already sent one to another quasi-moon called Kamoʻoalewa, expected to reach in July 2026.
There is a possibility that something similar could be done for 2025 PN7. "Objects in this unusually stable orbit are often unusually easy to visit with spacecraft, already coming quite close to Earth at a lower speed than most," Sam Deen, an amateur astronomer, shared, according to Sky & Telescope. "So lower-budget future missions should have a relatively easy time getting to these for exploration, sample return, or even outright asteroid mining." The readings could help shed more light on how these objects interact with Earth, and if sample-return endeavors are possible, they could also impart knowledge about the early days of the solar system.