The Earth Has a “2nd Moon”

Recent reports claiming that the Earth now has "two moons" stem from the discovery of a small asteroid known as 2025 PN7, which scientists have identified as a quasi-moon, not a true second moon. 2025 PN7 is a small asteroid, about 18 to 36 meters in diameter, first detected by the University of Hawaii’s Pan-STARRS observatory in August 2025. NASA did not confirm that the asteroid is a 2nd moon; it only confirmed that 2025 PN7 moves in a co-orbital relationship with Earth; meaning it travels around the Sun on nearly the same path as our planet, giving the illusion from our perspective that it is circling Earth.
 
Unlike the Moon, which is gravitationally bound to Earth, 2025 PN7 orbits the Sun, not Earth. Its path makes it appear to follow Earth, as they travel around the Sun, a phenomenon that categorizes it as a quasi-moon rather than a true natural satellite. NASA estimates 2025 PN7 has been accompanying Earth since roughly the 1960s and will remain nearby until about 2083, after which it will drift away from Earth’s neighbourhood in space. The object stays at least 4 million kilometers away, about ten times farther than the Moon, and is too small and dim to see without powerful telescopes.
 
These temporary companions, examples include Kamoʻoalewa, 2023 FW13, and 2025 PN7, offer astronomers valuable insight into small-body dynamics and solar system evolution and may one day serve as potential sites for close-up asteroid exploration. Their low relative speed and proximity also make them ideal test targets for asteroid missions or studying early solar system materials. 2025 PN7 pose no threat to Earth. Quasi-Moons are scientifically useful because their interactions with Earth’s gravity help astronomers refine models of small-body dynamics 
 
References
Stahl, A. (2024, May 21). Earth’s Quasi-Moons, Minimoons, and Ghost Moons. The Planetary Society.
 
Wang, C. (2025, October 23). No, NASA Did Not Confirm that Earth Now Has Two Moons. Fact Crescendo.
 
(2025, October 21). Quasi-Satellite. In Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quasi-satellite