Astronomers have made an intriguing discovery, finding three new moons in our solar system. Of the three, two are circling Neptune while the remaining one is orbiting Uranus.
These distant moons were spotted using high-powered telescopes in Hawaii and Chile, with the announcement made by the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center on Friday.
Currently, Neptune has 16 confirmed moons while Uranus boasts 28.
One of Neptune’s newfound moons holds the record for the longest orbit. According to Scott Shepard, an astronomer at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington who played a role in the discovery, it takes approximately 27 years for this tiny outer moon to complete its orbit around Neptune, the icy planet located farthest from the sun.
On the other hand, the new moon encircling Uranus is estimated to have a diameter of just 5 miles (8 kilometers), making it possibly the smallest among the planet’s moons.
Shepard expressed, “We believe that there are many more small moons waiting to be uncovered.”
Source: www.nbcnews.com
