00:00 [Music]
00:03 While planets like Jupiter and Saturn might be known for having an extreme number of moons,
00:08 with 95 and 146 orbiting each respectively,
00:12 Uranus and Neptune's numbers of natural satellites are increasing as well.
00:16 Astronomers have recently identified two new moons orbiting our solar system's most distant planet, Neptune,
00:21 and one new one orbiting Uranus.
00:24 They were discovered rather conventionally using ground-based telescopes.
00:27 However, it required special image processing after the fact.
00:30 This is all part of our astronomical tools becoming more robust
00:33 as humanity continues its obsession with space exploration.
00:37 And experts say they think this is just the beginning,
00:39 and that these two planets could be involved in the next big wave of moon discoveries.
00:44 The new moon orbiting Uranus is called S/2023 U1,
00:48 and it's the first moon discovered around the planet in over two decades.
00:51 It's only around five miles across, meaning it's one of the smallest in the entire solar system as well.
00:56 Moving around Uranus once every 680 days.
01:00 Meanwhile, the new moons discovered around Neptune are 14.3 and 8.7 miles in diameter.
01:06 Astronomers say these newly discovered orbiters are situated similarly to Saturn's and Jupiter's,
01:11 meaning there may yet be many more hiding out there in the far reaches of our solar system.
01:17 [music]
Comments