Neptune, the eighth planet in our solar system, and Uranus, the seventh planet, have recently welcomed new residents in the form of tiny moons. Astronomers have made the remarkable discovery of two moons orbiting Neptune and one circling Uranus, adding to the celestial collection with a total of 16 moons for Neptune and 28 moons for Uranus.
The newfound moon of Uranus is exceptionally small, measuring just 5 miles wide, making it possibly the smallest moon detected around the ice giant in over two decades. It takes 680 days to complete one orbit around Uranus, showcasing its unique characteristics compared to other moons in our solar system, like Mars’ small moon Deimos, which is 8 miles wide.
On the other hand, Neptune’s two new moons bring a mix of brightness and faintness to the planet’s moon system. With the brighter moon provisionally named “S/2002 N5” at 14 miles wide and the fainter moon temporarily identified as “S/2021 N1” at 8.6 miles wide, both are seen orbiting Neptune in distinct patterns – one every 9 years and the other every 27 years. These Neptunian moons are expected to be renamed based on themes from Greek mythology.
The exciting discovery of the three new moons was officially announced by the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center, a Massachusetts-based scientific organization responsible for designating planetary bodies. The find resulted from collaborative efforts involving scientists like Scott Sheppard from Carnegie Institution for Science and researchers from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the University of Hawaii, and other academic institutions.
These groundbreaking discoveries were made possible through the use of advanced telescopes in Hawaii and Chile, enabling astronomers to spot the faintest moons ever found around Uranus and Neptune using ground-based technology. According to Sheppard, the lead scientist behind the discoveries, special image processing techniques were crucial in uncovering these elusive objects in the distant realms of our solar system.
With egg-shaped orbits that are highly inclined to the plane of their respective ice giants, the newly found moons suggest a fascinating origin story. Their unusual orbital characteristics imply that they were not formed around their host planets but were instead gravitationally captured at a later stage. Such insights shed light on the dynamic and complex nature of celestial bodies in our cosmic neighborhood.