24th February, 2024
ANUPA MUKHERJEE
● Astronomers have added three new members to our solar system's moon collection! ● Two new moons orbit Neptune and one circle Uranus – one of which is incredibly small.
● Neptune's moon count now stands at 16. ● The brighter of the new moons, S/2002 N5, is about 14 miles wide and orbits Neptune every 9 years. ● The fainter, S/2021 N1, is slightly smaller (8.6 miles wide) and orbits Neptune every nine years
● Uranus now boasts 28 moons. ● The new Uranian moon is exceptionally small, only about 5 miles wide. ● It takes approximately 680 Earth days to complete one orbit around Uranus.
● Discoveries were made using powerful telescopes in Hawaii and Chile. ● Astronomers looked deeper into space than previous surveys, revealing these faint objects. ● Scientists suspect even more small moons may yet be discovered
● Newly discovered moons will get official names based on mythology: ○ Neptune's moons: Sea gods and nymphs from Greek mythology ○ Uranus' moon: A character from a Shakespearean play.