NASA has confirmed that Earth has two moons as of 2083.

The small asteroid, which was found this year but has been with us since the 1960s, will disappear in 2083. 

A small asteroid with the name 2025 PN7 is the latest tag-along in space for Earth. 

This week, NASA said that the University of Hawaii found the rock, which is now officially a "quasi-moon," which means it moves almost exactly in time with Earth. So it’s not a true moon, but it keeps pace with us, looping around the Sun in a path so similar that it appears to shadow our planet as we orbit.

 Scientists estimate it’s only 18 to 36 meters wide, about the height of a small building. By cosmic standards, it is insignificant, but it is significant enough to merit its own place in Earth's vast neighborhood. This asteroid is not bound to us, unlike the Moon, which is held in place by gravity. Think of it more like a friendly runner matching your stride on the same track — close enough to notice, but never touching.

 According to astronomers, 2025 PN7 has probably been with us for about 60 years. If its current orbit holds, it will remain with us until 2083 before moving back into space. At its closest, it comes within 4 million kilometers, roughly ten times farther than the Moon. It has the potential to reach 17 million at its farthest point. The competing gravity of the Sun and the planets around it causes this constant ebb and pull. Finding it wasn’t easy. The University of Hawaii team first spotted the object during a routine telescope survey earlier this year. It turned out that what appeared to be a small object against the night sky was moving exactly at Earth's speed around the Sun. NASA confirmed what the data suggested after weeks of observation: our planet had a temporary traveling partner. So far, astronomers have confirmed only eight quasi-moons in total, making each one a small but valuable clue in understanding how asteroids move and how Earth’s gravity shapes the space around us.

 These objects are more than just interesting to scientists. They help refine orbital models, improve predictions for near-Earth asteroids, and could one day serve as easy testing grounds for future missions. They’re close, relatively stable, and — unlike most deep-space targets — reachable without straying too far from home.

 No, the real Moon will never be eclipsed by 2025 PN7. But it’s there and worth knowing about — a silent traveler keeping pace with us, orbit after orbit, as Earth continues its endless lap around the Sun.