NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has discovered a new small moon orbiting Uranus, bringing the planet’s total number of known moons to 29.
The moon, temporarily named S/2025 U 1, was spotted during observations on February 2, 2025, using Webb’s powerful Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam).
The newly found moon is only about six miles (10 kilometers) wide, making it too small and faint to be seen by earlier missions like Voyager 2 in 1986 or even the Hubble Space Telescope. Webb’s advanced infrared technology finally revealed its presence.
S/2025 U 1 orbits Uranus at a distance of around 35,000 miles (56,000 km) from the planet’s center. It lies between the orbits of Uranus’s inner moons Ophelia and Bianca, following a nearly circular path along the planet’s equatorial plane. Scientists believe this suggests the moon likely formed in the same region.
For now, the moon has a provisional name, but the International Astronomical Union (IAU) will later assign it an official one, traditionally based on characters from Shakespeare or Alexander Pope’s works.
Astronomers say this discovery highlights how much more we can still learn about Uranus’s system. Many believe more tiny moons are yet to be found. The find also demonstrates the power of JWST, which can capture faint celestial objects invisible to older telescopes.
This discovery not only adds to our understanding of Uranus but also shows how advanced space technology is uncovering hidden details of our solar system.
If this article helped you, please consider supporting our work. Every small contribution keeps Abijita.com independent and running.
