Astronomers know quite a bit about what goes on in the area of space surrounding the Earth. There are thousands of telescopes from both amateurs and professionals that are constantly looking out into space, so it might surprise you to learn that some things just go unnoticed, even for long periods of time.

According to a study published in the journal Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, a small ‘quasi-moon’ has been hanging out around the Earth for the past 60 years or so.

This object is not actually orbiting the Earth, but instead orbits the sun on a path that just happens to be very similar to Earth’s path for long stretches of time. The object, named 2025 PN7, is a near-Earth asteroid that is one of very few ever to be seen.

Carlos de la Fuente Marcos is the co-lead author of the study, and recently talked with CNN about the object, saying:

“The Solar System is full of surprises so we keep looking. For Earth’s neighborhood, the existence of 2025 PN7 suggests that there may not exist a lower limit to the size of a quasi-satellite.”

This particular object was shown to have come from a larger group of near-Earth objects known as the Arjuana asteroids. The first of these was found in 1991, and this one is the latest addition to the family.

This particular object is estimated to be about 98 feet across, but it is hard to get exact measurements. Currently, the object is floating around about 186,000 miles away from Earth, which is about halfway between the Earth and our moon (though it is not between them, just that distance).

For the most part, however, it will start moving away from us before eventually breaking entirely free from the Earth to continue its journey around the sun on its own. That won’t take place for another sixty years. Once it drifts away, it will travel on a horseshoe orbit that brings it as far as 185 million miles from Earth.

In theory, it could come back and travel with the Earth again in the future, but if or when that is expected to happen has not yet been calculated.

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