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NASA Clarifies "Second Moon" Hype: 2025 PN7 Is a Quasi‑Satellite, Not an Earth Moon

The small asteroid follows a Sun-centered path rather than orbiting Earth as a natural satellite.

Overview

  • NASA and astronomers say 2025 PN7 poses no known risk and measures an estimated 18 to 36 meters across.
  • The object’s heliocentric orbit closely matches Earth’s, creating a quasi-satellite resonance that makes it appear to accompany the planet.
  • Even at its nearest, 2025 PN7 remains millions of kilometers away, far beyond the Moon’s average distance of about 384,400 kilometers.
  • Modeling suggests the asteroid has been near Earth for decades and may remain in this configuration until roughly 2083 before drifting away.
  • The clarification follows media and social posts calling it a "second moon," a label scientists reject as inaccurate.