New Moon Discovered Orbiting Uranus
2 days ago
- #James Webb Telescope
- #Uranus
- #Astronomy
- A new moon orbiting Uranus was discovered using NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, increasing Uranus' known moons to 29.
- The moon was detected in a series of 10 long-exposure images taken by Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) on Feb. 2, 2025.
- Estimated to be just 6 miles (10 km) in diameter, the moon was too small to be seen by Voyager 2 during its 1986 flyby.
- The discovery highlights Uranus’ complex system of small inner moons, which blur the line between ring systems and moons.
- The new moon orbits between Ophelia and Bianca, about 35,000 miles (56,000 km) from Uranus, suggesting it formed near its current location.
- Its name will be approved by the International Astronomical Union (IAU).
- Webb’s high-resolution infrared capabilities enable detection of faint objects, advancing our understanding of the outer solar system.