Newly Discovered Moon Candidate Orbiting Uranus Unveiled by James Webb Space Telescope

Astronomers have identified a celestial body that may potentially be an as - yet - undiscovered moon in orbit around Uranus. If this finding is conclusively verified, the count of Uranus' moons will reach 29. The detection was made possible through the utilization of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), further augmenting the instrument's already impressive portfolio of achievements and fueling anticipation for additional new discoveries within the solar system.

Detection Process

Employing the JWST's infrared camera, researchers carried out ten 40 - minute exposures of Uranus. During this process, they detected a minute, indistinct dot in the vicinity of the icy planet, alongside its other known moons. Based on the preliminary data collected, the researchers estimate that this object has a diameter of approximately 10 kilometers and is positioned 56,000 kilometers from the planet's center.

Classification and Orbital Characteristics

This new satellite is part of Uranus' group of 13 inner moons. These moons are typically characterized by their irregular shapes and low levels of brightness. It orbits just beyond the outer edge of Uranus' main ring system, in close proximity to other moons such as Mab, Cordelia, and Ophelia.

Naming and Confirmation

Currently, the object bears the provisional code name S/2025 U1. To establish its status as a natural satellite, the research team intends to conduct further observations. In the event that its moon status is confirmed, it will be assigned an official name. Conventionally, moons of Uranus are named after characters from the works of William Shakespeare or Alexander Pope, examples of which include Francisco, Stefano, Miranda, Trinculo, Ariel, etc. Any proposed name for this or other newly discovered satellites must be approved by the International Astronomical Union.

Historical Context of Uranus Moon Discoveries

William Herschel discovered the first two moons of Uranus, Titania and Oberon, in 1787, six years after his identification of the planet itself. Since then, numerous additional moons have been detected. The most recent officially recognized satellite discovery was in 2003, when Margaret was identified using the Hubble telescope. Alongside S/2025 U1, another unnamed moon, S/2023 U1, discovered two years ago, is also awaiting confirmation. In total, the scientific community has tentatively identified 29 moons (including these two pending verification).

Significance of the Discovery

The discovery of S/2025 U1 represents a significant advancement in solar system observations. Neither the Hubble Telescope nor the Voyager 2 probe, which passed by Uranus in 1986, was able to detect this moon. The fact that the JWST has revealed it indicates that there is likely a greater degree of complexity within Uranus' ring system yet to be explored. This new instrument may well lead to more such discoveries in the future.

Maryame El Moutamid, the leader of the research team, stated in a NASA release, "Looking ahead, the discovery of this moon emphasizes how modern astronomy continues to build on the legacy of missions like Voyager 2, which flew by Uranus on January 24, 1986, providing humanity with its first close - up view of this enigmatic world. Now, nearly four decades later, the James Webb Space Telescope is expanding that frontier even further."

This article was originally published on WIRED en Español and has been translated from Spanish.