Scientists Find a New Moon Orbiting Uranus

A squad of astronomers has recovered what appears to beryllium a antecedently undiscovered satellite orbiting Uranus. If confirmed, this uncovering would mean nan gigantic blue-green crystal satellite would person 29 moons. The find was made utilizing nan James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), extending nan instrument’s database of achievements and raising expectations that different caller discoveries mightiness beryllium made wrong nan star system.

With JWST’s infrared camera, nan researchers took 10 40-minute exposures of Uranus and detected a tiny, fuzzy dot accompanying nan icy giant’s different moons. With nan preliminary accusation gathered, nan researchers estimate that it is simply a assemblage of astir 10 kilometers successful diameter, located 56,000 kilometers from nan halfway of nan planet.

This caller outer is portion of Uranus’ group of 13 soul moons, which are characterized by their irregular shapes and debased brightness. It orbits conscionable beyond nan outer separator of nan planet’s main ringing system, on pinch different adjacent moons specified arsenic Mab, Cordelia, and Ophelia.

At nan moment, nan entity has nan codification sanction S/2025 U1. To corroborate its position arsenic a earthy satellite, nan squad plans to make further observations; if its position arsenic a satellite is confirmed, it will past beryllium fixed an charismatic name. Traditionally, Uranus’ moons person been named aft characters from useful by William Shakespeare aliases Alexander Pope—such arsenic Francisco, Stefano, Miranda, Trinculo, Ariel, and truthful on. Any caller sanction for it aliases immoderate different recently discovered outer must beryllium approved by nan International Astronomical Union.

William Herschel discovered nan first 2 moons of Uranus successful 1787—Titania and Oberon—six years aft identifying nan planet. Dozens of others person since been found. The past clip observatories detected an charismatic outer was successful 2003, erstwhile Margaret was recovered utilizing nan Hubble telescope. Along pinch S/2025 U1, location is different unnamed satellite besides awaiting confirmation, S/2023 U1, which was discovered 2 years ago. In total, nan technological organization has identified 29 moons (including these 2 awaiting confirmation).

The find of S/2025 U1 marks a caller measurement successful nan study of nan star system. Neither nan Hubble Telescope nor nan Voyager 2 probe that flew by Uranus successful 1986 were capable to find this moon; nan truth that nan JWST was capable to uncover it suggests location is still much complexity to beryllium discovered wrong Uranus’ ringing system, and that acknowledgment to this caller tool, much discoveries could follow.

“Looking forward, nan find of this satellite underscores really modern astronomy continues to build upon nan bequest of missions for illustration Voyager 2, which flew past Uranus connected January 24, 1986, and gave humanity its first close-up look astatine this mysterious world,” said Maryame El Moutamid, leader of nan squad that conducted nan study, successful a NASA statement. “Now, astir 4 decades later, nan James Webb Space Telescope is pushing that frontier moreover farther.”

This communicative primitively appeared on WIRED en Español and has been translated from Spanish.