S/2004 N 1 facts for kids

S/2004 N 1 is a tiny moon that goes around the planet Neptune. Scientists found this moon in 2013. It was the 14th moon of Neptune that we had discovered at that time. This moon will probably get a proper name soon, likely connected to the ancient Roman god Neptune.

Discovering Neptune's Moons

Scientists are always looking for new things in space. They use powerful telescopes to find planets, stars, and moons. Finding a new moon around a distant planet like Neptune is a big deal! It helps us learn more about our solar system.

What is S/2004 N 1?

S/2004 N 1 is a very small moon. It is one of Neptune's inner moons. These moons orbit much closer to Neptune than the larger, more famous moons. It's so small that it was hard to spot!

How Was It Found?

This moon was not found by looking through a telescope directly. Instead, a scientist named Mark Showalter found it. He was looking at old pictures of Neptune taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. He saw a tiny, faint dot that appeared again and again. This dot was S/2004 N 1. It was a great example of how looking at old data can lead to new discoveries.

Naming Moons

When a new moon is found, it first gets a temporary name. This name often includes the year it was discovered. For S/2004 N 1, "S" means satellite (moon), "2004" is the year the images were taken, and "N 1" means it was the first moon found around Neptune from those 2004 images.

Future Name

Eventually, moons get a permanent name. These names are usually linked to the planet they orbit. Since Neptune is named after the Roman god of the sea, its moons are often named after sea gods or creatures from Greek and Roman myths. For example, one of Neptune's moons is called Triton, who was Neptune's son in mythology. S/2004 N 1 will likely get a similar type of name soon.

Neptune and Its Moons

Neptune is the eighth and farthest known planet from the Sun. It is a giant ice planet. It has a system of rings and many moons. Each moon is unique and helps scientists understand how planets and their moons form.

Inner Moons

Neptune has several small inner moons. These moons orbit very close to the planet. They are often irregularly shaped, not perfectly round like Earth's Moon. S/2004 N 1 is one of these small inner moons. Studying them helps us learn about the history of Neptune's rings and how they might have formed.

Images for kids

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  Size comparison of Neptune's seven inner moons

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  Artist's impression of Neptune and its smallest moon Hippocamp

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  Diagram of the orbits of Neptune's moons out to Triton, with Hippocamp's orbit highlighted