Yes, Earth Really Does Have Two Moons Now!

Even if they haven't learned about the solar system yet, most elementary school kids could probably tell you that the Earth only has one moon.

That's correct, right?

Well, apparently, not anymore.

According to an article in the Daily Mail, the Earth now has a second moon.  For now, at least.

The article explains that 2025 PN7 is a 62-foot wide 'quasi-moon' that orbits the sun on a path similar to that of the Earth.  Unlike our moon, this quasi-moon orbits that planet at varying distances.  Sometimes, it is as close as 2.8 million miles.  Yes, technically, that is close when you are talking about distances in space.  Other times, the rock is about 37 million miles away.

Between the small size of the rock, and the fact that its distance from the Earth varies greatly, it is not visible with the naked eye.  When it is close to the Earth, however, you can easily see it with a telescope.

The really wild thing is that it has likely been orbiting with the Earth since the 1960s.  Because of

Will it be with us forever?  Nope.  2025 PN7 is not in a stable orbit and, because it is not bound to the Earth, it will drift off into space in 2083.

This is not the first time the Earth has had a quasi-moon.  Three others have been spotted over the years.

Searching for them may soon get easier, though.

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile just became fully operational, and it’s now able to scan for more of these so-called “quasi-moons.” Scientists say it could uncover many more in the coming years.

Read More: Celestial standoff! Scientists capture an image of two black holes circling each other for the first time

Along with quasi-moons, Earth sometimes picks up what experts call “minimoons.” These are small objects that do orbit our planet, but only for a short time before drifting away.

So far, only four have ever been found, and none remain in orbit today.

The article explains that the The Planetary Society has said:

Quasi-moons and minimoons are pieces of our neighborhood in space, and they carry information about where they come from. They might originate in the main asteroid belt, from impacts on the Moon, or from the break-up of larger objects on similar orbits.

They add that learning more about these almost-moons, and what they’re made of, could help researchers better understand asteroids and the potential threats they pose to Earth.