Astronomers using the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have discovered a tiny new moon orbiting Uranus, increasing the planet’s moon count to 29. The object, about six miles wide, was detected in a series of images taken on February 2, 2025.
The discovery was made by a team led by Dr. Maryame El Moutamid from the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI). The team found the small satellite in the outer solar system, specifically between the orbits of Ophelia and Bianca.
Uranus, known as “the sideways planet” due to its extreme axial tilt, has a deep atmosphere composed of hydrogen, helium, and methane. Its larger moons are thought to be roughly equal parts water ice and silicate rock.
The new moon is at the edge of Uranus’ inner rings and is located about 35,000 miles from the center in the equatorial plane. The team used JWST’s Near-Infrared Camera to detect the object in a series of long exposures.
The Voyager 2 spacecraft visited Uranus in 1986 and discovered 28 moons, including five major moons named after characters in Shakespeare and Alexander Pope’s works.
With this discovery, the total number of Uranus’ moons is now 29, as the newly found object joins the ranks of the other satellites orbiting the ice giant.
Source: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/08/250821004237.htm