- Asteroid 2025 PN7 is Earth’s quasi-moon until 2083, orbiting similarly to Earth
- Quasi-moons orbit the Sun but appear to orbit Earth due to similar orbital paths
- 2025 PN7’s orbit is oval, causing variable speed and apparent Earth orbiting
Astronomers say that Earth is going to get something new in the coming decades. The recently discovered asteroid 2025 PN7 has become Earth's "quasi-moon", orbiting our Earth until 2083. This information has been given in a study published in IOP Science last month.
Cornell University astronomy professor Phil Nicholson explained that quasi-moons are not true moons and do not actually revolve around the Earth, although sometimes they appear to do so.
He said these objects orbit the Sun, like normal asteroids, but their orbits are "very similar" to Earth's orbit.
According to Nicholson, this is why they stay with the Earth for many years or even decades.
Zoe Ponterio, manager of Cornell University's Spacecraft Planetary Image Facility told ABC News that the asteroid is called a quasi-moon because from our perspective it looks as if it is orbiting Earth.
He said that its orbit is oval shaped, due to which it is sometimes near the Sun and sometimes away from the Earth. When it is closer to the Sun, it moves faster than the Earth, and when farther away, it slows down, which is why it appears to us to revolve around the Earth.
Ponterio said, when the Earth and this quasi-moon take turns crossing each other, it appears to us as if it is orbiting us.
He further explained that the orbit of this quasi-moon will change over time and it will eventually adopt a "horseshoe" orbit.
It will then appear to swing back and forth in the sky as it passes through Earth's inner path and moves toward its outer orbit and its speed gradually decreases.
According to astronomers at Northeastern University, six other partial, temporary or quasi-moons have been recorded near Earth so far.
Even in the year 2024, an asteroid remained in Earth's orbit for about two months, which was called a "mini-moon". However, the new quasi-Moon will remain with Earth much longer than that.
According to researchers, this object was first identified on August 29 in images taken by the Pan-STARRS telescope at Haleakala Observatory in Hawaii. But older data indicate that this quasi-moon has remained in line with Earth's orbit for about six decades.
What Are Quasi Moons?
Quasi-moons are generally very small and not visible without a telescope, Nicholson said.
According to NASA, the brightness of this object is only magnitude 26, which is not visible through normal telescopes.
