{"id":130045,"date":"2025-09-03T15:56:10","date_gmt":"2025-09-03T15:56:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/130045\/"},"modified":"2025-09-03T15:56:10","modified_gmt":"2025-09-03T15:56:10","slug":"what-did-the-james-webb-space-telescope-just-discover-near-uranus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/130045\/","title":{"rendered":"What did the James Webb Space Telescope just discover near Uranus?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The James Webb Space Telescope has already opened a window to the early universe\u2014but its gaze also extends closer to home. In early 2025, it gave astronomers an unexpected gift: a brand-new moon hiding in the shadows of Uranus.<\/p>\n

Centuries after the planet\u2019s discovery, the James Webb telescope is still helping scientists deepen our understanding of the outer Solar System\u2014and revive stories of the early pioneers who once mapped the skies with telescopes and math alone.<\/p>\n

Have you heard of Anders Lexell? The Swedish-Finnish mathematician and astronomer moved to Russia in 1768 and befriended Leonhard Euler. Lexell was the first to calculate the orbit of Uranus after William Herschel spotted it by chance in 1781.<\/p>\n

At first, Herschel thought he\u2019d found a comet. But Lexell\u2019s calculations changed everything\u2014proving this was a new planet<\/a>. He even noticed gravitational disturbances suggesting yet another planet was out there (spoiler: it was Neptune, though it wouldn\u2019t be officially discovered until 1846).<\/p>\n

Two centuries after Lexell and Herschel<\/p>\n

In 2025, NASA and ESA revealed that a new inner moon had been spotted orbiting Uranus\u2014one that had escaped Voyager 2\u2019s flyby nearly 40 years earlier. The discovery was made by a team at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) using JWST\u2019s Near-Infrared Camera.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

A presentation of Uranus and its many peculiarities. \u00a9 National Geographic<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s just 10 kilometers wide,\u201d said Maryame El Moutamid, lead scientist on the project. \u201cWe found it in ten 40-minute long-exposure images. It\u2019s small, but a huge find\u2014even Voyager missed it.\u201d<\/p>\n

S\/2025 U 1 \u2014 or something more poetic?<\/p>\n

Matthew Tiscareno from the SETI Institute emphasized how unusual Uranus is. \u201cNo planet has more small inner moons<\/a>. Their chaotic interactions with the planet\u2019s rings blur the line between what counts as a moon and what\u2019s part of the ring system.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Uranus, its rings and its satellites captured by the James Webb telescope. \u00a9 NASA, ESA, University of Idaho<\/p>\n

This new moon is even fainter and smaller than Uranus\u2019s tiniest known satellites. It orbits 56,000 kilometers from the planet\u2019s center\u2014between Ophelia and Bianca\u2014and follows a nearly circular path, suggesting it formed right where it is.<\/p>\n

Like its siblings Miranda, Ariel, Titania, and Oberon, this moon will eventually get a name inspired by characters from Shakespeare or Alexander Pope. For now, it\u2019s called S\/2025 U 1. The final name will be approved by the International Astronomical Union.<\/p>\n

A notebook, a king, and a name<\/p>\n

William Herschel\u2019s original discovery notes from March 1781 describe Uranus as \u201ca curious nebulous star or perhaps a comet\u201d near Pollux. Further observations revealed what no one had seen in millennia: the first planet discovered in modern history.<\/p>\n

Herschel wanted to name it Georgium Sidus in honor of King George III. The name made him popular with the crown\u2014but not with the rest of Europe. Eventually, the world agreed to name the planet Uranus<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The Royal Astronomical Society Library and Archives contains books, images, and documents important to the development of scientific thought in astronomy, geophysics, and related disciplines. In this video series, RAS Librarian Jenny Higham showcases some of the gems in the collection. \u00a9 Royal Astronomical Society<\/p>\n

More than 240 years later, the story of Uranus continues to evolve. From Herschel\u2019s telescope to Voyager\u2019s flyby to the cutting-edge eyes of James Webb, this icy world still holds secrets\u2014some no wider than a city, and others yet to be seen.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t Laurent Sacco <\/p>\n

\n Journalist <\/p>\n

Born in Vichy in 1969, I grew up during the Apollo era, inspired by space exploration, nuclear energy, and major scientific discoveries. Early on, I developed a passion for quantum physics, relativity, and epistemology, influenced by thinkers like Russell, Popper, and Teilhard de Chardin, as well as scientists such as Paul Davies and Haroun Tazieff.<\/p>\n

I studied particle physics at Blaise-Pascal University in Clermont-Ferrand, with a parallel interest in geosciences and paleontology, where I later worked on fossil reconstructions. Curious and multidisciplinary, I joined Futura to write about quantum theory, black holes, cosmology, and astrophysics, while continuing to explore topics like exobiology, volcanology, mathematics, and energy issues.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve interviewed renowned scientists such as Fran\u00e7oise Combes, Abhay Ashtekar, and Aur\u00e9lien Barrau, and completed advanced courses in astrophysics at the Paris and C\u00f4te d\u2019Azur Observatories. Since 2024, I\u2019ve served on the scientific committee of the Cosmos prize. I also remain deeply connected to the Russian and Ukrainian scientific traditions, which shaped my early academic learning.<\/p>\n

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