A new image of an asteroid, referred to as a “quasi-moon,” has been released
Credit: CNSA
NEED TO KNOW
- China’s Tianwen-2 spacecraft reached a “quasi-moon,” a small asteroid orbiting the Sun and close to Earth, after a 13-month journey and released a new image
- The mission aims to return asteroid samples to Earth by 2027
- Quasi-moons like 469219 Kamoʻoalewa are ideal for space missions due to their proximity and smaller size
Chinese mission Tianwen-2 released a new image of an asteroid orbiting Earth, which is sometimes referred to as a “quasi-moon.”
Following a 13-month journey, the spacecraft reached 469219 Kamoʻoalewa, the official name of the tiny asteroid that was initially discovered in 2016, on July 4, Forbes reported. The Tianwen-2 mission’s goal is to bring 100 grams worth of samples from the surface of the asteroid to Earth.
Tianwen-2 is now about 20 kilometers from the asteroid, the China National Space Administration (CNSA) said on Monday, July 6, reported the Global Times. CNSA also released an image of the asteroid taken by the probe.
Tianwen-2 will leave the asteroid in April 2027, with its return capsule estimated to reach Earth in November 2027, reported Space News. The spacecraft will then utilize a gravity-assist maneuver to “slingshot” to comet 311P/PANSTARRS, likely arriving in January 2035.
Tianwen translates to “heavenly questions” in English, according to Forbes. The mission is being conducted by the CNSA (CNSA).
“Going forward, the probe will gradually conduct more detailed scientific explorations to obtain information on the asteroid’s shape, material composition, and internal structure, providing support for preparations for sampling,” CNSA said in a statement on Monday, July 6, per Space News.
“Earth hosts seven known quasi-moons, an unknown number of minimoons, and maybe, sometimes, two ghost moons,” according to The Planetary Society.
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“Since quasi-moons orbit close to Earth and are often quite small, they would also be easier to visit and redirect than most other asteroids,” per the outlet. “This makes them ideal targets for missions like China’s Tianwen-2.”
The asteroid does not orbit Earth itself. Instead, it orbits the Sun, but it is close enough to Earth that it appears to orbit the planet, as The Planetary Society explains.
The quasi-moon takes its name from the Hawaiian chant Kumulipo, according to the University of Hawaii.
“Kamoʻoalewa alludes to a celestial object that is oscillating, like its path in the sky as viewed from the Earth,” per the university.
In 2025, another quasi-moon orbiting Earth was discovered, PEOPLE previously reported. The asteroid, named 2025 PN7, will join Earth in orbit until 2083, per a paper published in IOP Science.
Scientists at the Pan-STARRs observatory in Hawaii discovered the new quasi-moon in August 2025, according to CNN and ABC News. It is believed that PN7 has been a quasi-moon for an estimated 59 years.
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