Jakarta –
A quasi-moon or quasi-moon has been discovered circulating near Earth. This Moon’s twin is predicted to follow Earth at least until 2083.
Quoted from Pop Science, Monday (27/10/2025), this quasi-moon, named 2025 PN7, was discovered by scientists from the Pan-STARRs observatory in Hawaii on August 29 2025. Scientists estimate that it will be a quasi-moon for approximately 60 years.
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Carlos de la Fuentes, an astronomer at the Complutense University of Madrid who co-authored the research, said so far there are no real clues to its origins.
According to The Planetary Society, Earth’s quasi-moon is not actually a moon, but an asteroid. These quasi-moons are only temporary, and will eventually leave Earth’s orbit.
According to astrophysicists from Northeastern University, there are six other known quasi-satellites near the planet, and PN7 is the seventh.
Northeastern University astrophysicist Jonathan Blazek said the new quasi-moon is roughly the size of a small office building. He estimates the object is about a quadrillion times more massive.
“In the long term, the orbit will shift, and the quasi-moon will move away,” Blazek said.
Quasi-moons are often called pseudo-moons or Moon twins because they appear to orbit the Earth from certain viewpoints. However, that is not entirely true. Blazek said that this space object is difficult to see unless using a large telescope.
“Quasi-moons are also too small to have a measurable effect on Earth’s tides or anything else,” added Northeastern University assistant professor Jacqueline McCleary.
(rns/fay)
