Space · Moons
S/2002 N 5
A moon of Neptune — A recently-confirmed prograde Neptunian outer irregular — formal naming still pending.
Quick facts
Parent planet
Diameter (mean)
23 km
Mass
1.0 × 10¹⁶ kg
1.4e-07 Moon masses
Mean orbital radius
23,571,000 km
Orbital period
3169.6 Earth days
Discovery year
2021
Discoverer
Scott S. Sheppard et al. (announced 2024)
Naming origin
Provisional designation — formal name pending
Surface conditions
S/2002 N 5 was first imaged in 2002 but only confirmed and announced in 2024 — its faintness (apparent magnitude ~25.9) required years of follow-up observations to establish a reliable orbit.
Missions and observations
Every Neptune-system mission has had an opportunity to image or characterize S/2002 N 5. The list below is the Neptune-system mission catalog; specific S/2002 N 5 encounters are documented in mission archives.
| Mission | Year at Neptune | Status |
|---|---|---|
|
Voyager 2 NASA |
1989 | Completed |
Naming etymology
Like all provisionally-designated moons, S/2002 N 5 carries the IAU's standard provisional name (S for satellite, 2002 for discovery year, N for Neptune, 5 as sequence number) until a formal name is assigned. By convention Neptunian moons are named after Greek sea-related figures.
Methodology & sources
Diameter, mass, and orbital parameters from JPL Solar System Dynamics — Physical Parameters. Discovery year and discoverer from the JPL Satellite Discovery Circumstances. Naming etymology from the IAU Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature. Stylized SVG hero composed from NASA / JPL imagery as visual reference; no photographs are reproduced.