Scientists Find Tiny New Moon Around Uranus with JWST
Summary: Astronomers using NASAs JWST discovered a newfound moon orbiting Uranus, expanding the ice giants known satellite count.
Astronomers using data from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) have identified a previously unknown small moon in the Uranian system. The newly designated body, provisionally catalogued as S/2025 U1, is the latest addition to the planet's known satellite family.
S/2025 U1 orbits approximately 35,000 miles (56,000 km) from the center of Uranus — far closer than our own Moon, which orbits Earth at an average distance of about 238,855 miles (384,400 km). Preliminary orbital analysis indicates that S/2025 U1 follows a near-circular path around the ice giant, a characteristic that suggests it formed in its current position rather than being gravitationally captured from elsewhere in the solar system.
Uranus was previously known to host 27 confirmed moons (the text says 28 — this figure includes the most recently confirmed bodies), most named after characters from the works of William Shakespeare and Alexander Pope. The discovery underscores JWST's capability in detecting faint objects at the edge of the solar system, where its high-sensitivity infrared instruments can pick up bodies that conventional telescopes may miss. According to Space.com, researchers are continuing to analyze the moon's physical properties, including its size and albedo.