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Our Earth has now got a new ‘companion moon’… a small asteroid named 2025 PN7. NASA has also now confirmed this. However, according to scientists, it is not a real moon, but a ‘quasi moon’, that is, a space body which revolves around the Sun at almost the same speed as the Earth.
However, it is not bound by Earth’s gravity like the Moon. Scientists explain it this way, as if a runner is running with you on the same track, keeping pace with you, but without colliding.
How was it revealed?
Astronomers from the University of Hawaii discovered this mysterious space object in August 2025. This discovery was made with the Pan-STARRS1 telescope. When researchers searched old astronomical photographs, it was found that 2025 PN7 was visible since 1957, which means it has been keeping pace with the Earth for decades.
According to scientists, its orbit is so similar to the Earth’s orbit around the Sun that sometimes it appears in front of the Earth and sometimes behind it. At its closest point it comes at a distance of 25 lakh miles (about 40 lakh KM), which is about ten times more than the distance of the Moon.
smallest quasi-moon
NASA said that only eight quasi-moons have been confirmed around Earth-like planets so far, and 2025 PN7 is the smallest and least stable. Its diameter is only 19 meters, due to which it is very difficult to see. Scientists say that its ‘visibility windows’ are very limited, that is, it can be seen only at certain times and angles.
Not a threat, but an opportunity
NASA has made it clear that this asteroid is not a threat to the Earth, but it is a golden opportunity for scientists. According to expert Carlos de la Fuente Marcos, ‘Such small and nearby asteroids can be ideal testing grounds for future unmanned space missions.’
Even though 2025 PN7 will not grace the night sky like the real Moon, it will remain Earth’s silent companion for decades to come. With us in every orbit, revolving around our own orbit, as if reminding us that even in space our Earth is never alone.
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