A major asteroid has entered Earth’s orbit, and some scientists and experts believe it is exhibiting behavior consistent with what we know as the moon.
This discovery has led some to report that a second moon has been discovered. The asteroid is indeed rotating around the planet in a similar pattern, but it isn’t quite accurate to list it as an equal to the moon we’re all familiar with.
Scientists at the University of Hawaii discovered the asteroid, named 2025 PN7, in early August. It has been classified in the Arjuna asteroid group – near-earth objects that follow a similar orbital pattern to the planet itself.
What Qualifies An Asteroid as a ‘Second Moon?’
The asteroid loops around the sun at nearly the same speed as the Earth, and it appears to be following the large planet in orbit. The American Astronomical Society believes that 2025 PN7 has followed this path for the last six decades, and that it’s expected to remain in orbit around the sun for another 60 years.
The AAS categorizes 2025 PN7 as a “quasi-sattelite,” with the moon being the one true satellite around the Earth.
“Quasi-satellites are in a resonant orbit but are not gravitationally bound to Earth, allowing for more sustained, though unbound, proximity,” the organization reports in its findings.
“Mini-moons are characterized by temporary gravitational captures by Earth, meaning they are gravitationally bound, albeit for a limited time.”
What Impact Will 2025 PN7 Have?
2025 PN7 poses no threat to Earth due to its small size and distance. The asteroid will never come closer than 4 million kilometers to Earth, which is around ten times farther away than the moon. This means that the asteroid will have no effect on tides or gravity.
The asteroid is estimated to be as long as 62 feet, or about as long as a standard bowling lane. Asteroids usually form as remnants of space collisions from thousands or millions of years ago, but the relatively small number of sightings for 2025 PN7 has revealed “no real hints about its origins,” according to the AAS.
2025 PN7 may be set to leave Earth’s orbit in another 60 years, but it isn’t the only quasi-satellite around our planet. 164207 Cardea will orbit Earth for another 600 years, while 2023 FW13 has orbited for over 2,000 years with 1,700 still to come.
