Earth’s New Quasi-Moon: 2025 PN7 Discovery by Scientists
Earth’s New Quasi-Moon: 2025 PN7 Discovery by Scientists In September 2025, astronomers made an exciting discovery: a new "quasi-moon" orbiting Earth, designated 2025 PN7. Unlike our familiar Moon, which is gravitationally bound to Earth, this newly discovered object is a quasi-satellite, meaning it shares a similar orbit around the Sun while staying near Earth. Discovery Details The quasi-moon 2025 PN7 was first detected by the Pan-STARRS observatory in Hawaii on August 29, 2025. Interestingly, further analysis suggests that 2025 PN7 has been orbiting near Earth for decades, possibly since around 1965, and observations indicate it may have remained close to our planet for approximately 60 years. This discovery adds to the growing list of Earth’s quasi-moons, including previously known objects like Kamo‘oalewa and 2024 PT5. Scientists are particularly interested in these objects because they offer valuable insights into orbital mechanics, the dynamics of near-Eart...