Astronomers have confirmed the discovery of a new quasi-satellite orbiting near Earth, designated 2025 PN7, which likely accompanied our planet unnoticed for approximately 60 years. The small asteroid, measuring 18 to 36 meters in diameter, will continue its celestial dance with Earth until around 2083, after which it will drift into space, reports SYFY.

The Pan-STARRS Observatory on the Haleakalā volcano in Hawaii first detected the asteroid on August 2, 2025, during routine sky surveys. Researchers from the University of Hawaii conducted the initial observation, although subsequent analysis of archival data revealed that the object had appeared in earlier images dating back to 2014.

A cosmic companion in disguise

Unlike a true moon of Earth, 2025 PN7 is not gravitationally bound to our planet. Instead, it orbits the Sun in almost perfect synchronization with Earth, completing one revolution around the Sun each year in what astronomers call a 1:1 orbital resonance. This unique orbital configuration makes it appear as if it is orbiting Earth when observed from our planet, although it actually maintains a distance of approximately 4 million kilometers at its closest approach—about ten times farther than the Moon.

“It can only be detected with currently available telescopes when it approaches our planet, as it did this past summer,” explained Carlos de la Fuente Marcos, a researcher at Complutense University of Madrid, who authored a paper on this celestial object. “Its visibility windows are rare and infrequent. It is a challenging object to observe.”

The asteroid belongs to the Arjuna group, a rare class of near-Earth asteroids that follow orbits remarkably similar to Earth’s, with low eccentricity and inclination. NASA confirmed its quasi-satellite status this week, making 2025 PN7 the seventh known quasi-satellite of Earth.