75
submitted 8 months ago by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/science@lemmy.world

Astronomers have found three previously unknown moons in our solar system — two additional moons circling Neptune and one around Uranus.

The distant tiny moons were spotted using powerful land-based telescopes in Hawaii and Chile, and announced Friday by the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center.

The latest tally puts Neptune at 16 known moons and Uranus at 28.

One of Neptune’s new moons has the longest known orbital journey yet. It takes around 27 years for the small outer moon to complete one lap around Neptune, the vast icy planet farthest from the sun, said Scott Sheppard, an astronomer at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington who helped make the discovery.

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] mizzyc@lemmy.world 9 points 8 months ago

Uranus is so big that it have 28 moons and counting

[-] tigerjerusalem@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago

Wait. That's no moon, that's an hemorroid!

...

I'll see myself out.

this post was submitted on 24 Feb 2024
75 points (100.0% liked)

science

14791 readers
342 users here now

A community to post scientific articles, news, and civil discussion.

rule #1: be kind

<--- rules currently under construction, see current pinned post.

2024-11-11

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS