Astronomers have discovered a small asteroid that has been quietly accompanying Earth on its journey around the sun for the past 60 years, according to research published in September.

The celestial object, designated 2025 PN7, is what scientists call a quasi-moon — an asteroid that orbits the sun but appears to move alongside Earth due to its similar orbital path.

Unlike Earth's permanent moon, which is gravitationally bound to the planet, the newly discovered asteroid isn't actually orbiting Earth. Instead, it follows its own path around the sun, closely mirroring our planet's orbit and taking approximately one year to complete each lap.

Carlos de la Fuente Marcos, a researcher at Complutense University of Madrid, co-authored a paper about the discovery. The research appeared Sept.

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