2024-03-15 06:18:35
Astronomers, using ground-based telescopes, have discovered three previously unknown satellites near the planets Uranus and Neptune. One of these moons orbits Uranus, while the other two orbit Neptune.
This was reported by the ScienceAlert portal.
This discovery increases the number of moons orbiting Uranus to 28, and Neptune to 16. While these moons do not have official names, preliminary data suggests that Uranus’ moon will be given a name inspired by one of Shakespeare’s works, and Neptune’s two moons will be named after sea goddesses from Greek mythology.’
The discovery of additional satellites around the planets of the solar system is a common event in modern astronomy. With the development of technologies and methods of space exploration, science continues to uncover new mysteries. Until recently, it was believed that the largest number of moons were discovered around the planets Jupiter and Saturn, while Neptune and Uranus remained poorly explored.
This is because these two outer icy planets of the solar system are too far from Earth, making observations difficult. In November 2023, a new moon of Uranus was discovered using the Magellan Telescope, which was confirmed by previous observations in 2021.
Temporarily designated S/2023 U1, it became the first moon of Uranus found in more than two decades. The diameter of this moon is approximately 8 kilometers, which makes it the smallest satellite not only of Uranus, but of the entire solar system. Its orbital period is 680 days.
“After the orbit of S/2002 N5 around Neptune was determined using observations in 2021, 2022 and 2023, it was traced to an object that was seen near Neptune in 2003, but was lost before it could be confirmed that it revolves around the planet,” the message says.
This discovery prompted scientists to believe that the number of satellites of Neptune and Uranus may be comparable to that observed for the planets Saturn (146) and Jupiter (95).
Previously, Cursor wrote that the mysterious Ninth Planet of the Solar System continues to arouse interest among scientists, and a new study published in The Astronomical Journal has helped narrow down the area of its alleged location.
2024-03-15 06:18:35