New Moon Found by Webb Space Telescope

In an incredible revelation, the Webb Space Telescope has identified a previously unseen tiny moon orbiting Uranus, marking an exciting expansion of our understanding of this distant planet's satellite system.

Meet the New Lunar Addition

Announced by NASA, this new celestial body is estimated to be just 10 kilometers wide, making it a minuscule member of the Uranian family. The discovery was made during near-infrared observations conducted in February.

A Long-Hidden Mystery

What’s fascinating is that this moon had evaded detection for decades, even managing to elude the Voyager 2 spacecraft during its historic flyby nearly 40 years ago. Its small size and faintness likely contributed to its long concealment in the shadows of the planet.

Uranus: A Home for Many Moons

Uranus is now known to host 29 moons, all named after literary characters, predominantly from the works of Shakespeare and Alexander Pope. With this latest find, scientists ponder the possibility of even more tiny moons lurking in the vicinity.

What Lies Ahead?

Planetary scientist Matthew Tiscareno from the SETI Institute, who contributed to this significant discovery, expressed optimism about the existence of additional tiny moons. "There’s probably a lot more of them and we just need to keep looking," he stated, inviting further exploration of Uranus's mysterious outer realm.