A previously uncharted moon has been located in orbit by NASA’s .
NASA disclosed the finding on Tuesday, noting that the moon was initially observed on Feb. 2. Researchers calculate the recently found moon measures approximately six miles across. NASA indicates that its “miniscule” dimensions are probably why it eluded detection by other telescopes—including the Voyager 2 spacecraft, which performed a flyby almost forty years prior. For context, possesses an average diameter exceeding 2,000 miles, while Uranus’ biggest moon, , spans roughly 1,000 miles in diameter.
Maryame El Moutamid, a principal scientist within the Southwest Research Institute’s Solar System Science and Exploration Division, stated in NASA’s press release, “While it’s a small moon, it represents a significant finding.”
Prior to this discovery, Uranus—the seventh planet from the Sun—was understood to possess . The planet’s satellites are frequently referred to as “literary moons” due to their names deriving from characters in the writings of William Shakespeare and Alexander Pope. The planet includes five primary moons: , Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, and Oberon.
The recently found moon, elevating Uranus’ count of recognized moons to 29, is presently labeled S/2025 U1 and lacks a formal designation. NASA states that the International Astronomical Union, tasked with naming and classifying celestial bodies, must authorize its name. The space organization also mentioned that the finding has not yet undergone peer evaluation.
Prior to the current year, the most recent lunar discovery, identified as S/2023 U1, occurred in November 2023.
In NASA’s announcement, Matthew Tiscareno, a research team member from the SETI Institute, indicated that this recent finding suggests “it’s probable that additional complexity remains to be uncovered” concerning Uranus’ orbiting moons.
Tiscareno informed that “There are likely many more, and we simply need to continue our search.”