A1Kaid
PDF THINK TANK: ANALYST
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2008
- Messages
- 9,667
- Reaction score
- 8
- Country
- Location
Nasa's Hubble telescope discovers new Neptune moon
15 July 2013 Last updated at 19:30 ET
The Hubble space telescope has discovered a new moon orbiting Neptune, Nasa has confirmed.
Designated S/2004 N 1, this is the 14th known moon to circle the giant planet.
It also appears to be the smallest moon in the Neptunian system, measuring just 20 km (12 miles) across, completing one revolution around Neptune every 23 hours.
US astronomer Mark Showalter spotted the tiny *** while studying segments of rings around Neptune.
Nasa said the moon was roughly 100 million times dimmer than the faintest star visible to the naked eye.
It is so small that the Voyager spacecraft failed to spot it in 1989 when it passed close by Neptune and surveyed the planet's system of moons and rings.
Mr Showalter's method of discovery involved tracking the movement of a white fleck appearing over and over again in more than 150 photographs taken of Neptune by Hubble between 2004 and 2009.
BBC News - Nasa's Hubble telescope discovers new Neptune moon
Interestingly enough a few days ago I was contemplating whether or not we really discovered all the Moons in our solar system.
