How Many Moons Does Uranus Have?
QUICK ANSWER
Uranus has 29 confirmed moons as of 2025, when the James Webb Space Telescope discovered a tiny new moon called S/2025 U1. The five largest moons are Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, and Oberon. Unlike other planets' moons, Uranus's moons are named after characters from Shakespeare and Alexander Pope.
Uranus has 29 known moons, and the count keeps climbing. The largest are named after characters from Shakespeare plays and Alexander Pope poems, a tradition started by Uranus's discoverer that has lasted over two centuries. The newest moon was found in 2025 by the James Webb Space Telescope.
How many moons does Uranus actually have?
As of August 2025, Uranus has 29 confirmed moons. According to NASA, the latest moon (provisionally named S/2025 U1) was discovered by the James Webb Space Telescope in February 2025 and officially announced in August. The tiny new moon is only about 6 miles in diameter, the smallest known moon of Uranus. Astronomers expect more moons to be found as observation methods continue to improve, especially among the planet's small inner moons that are difficult to spot.
What are the major moons of Uranus?
The five largest moons of Uranus are Miranda (about 290 miles wide), Ariel (720 miles), Umbriel (730 miles), Titania (about 980 miles), and Oberon (about 950 miles). Titania is the largest and is also the eighth-largest moon in our solar system overall. All five are roughly spherical and consist of a mixture of rock and water ice. Most have visible surface features including craters, canyons, and possible signs of past geological activity. Miranda is particularly bizarre, with a heavily scarred surface unlike anything else in the solar system.
Why are Uranus's moons named after Shakespeare characters?
Tradition started by William Herschel's son, John Herschel, in 1852. When the first moons were discovered (Titania and Oberon by William Herschel in 1787), there wasn't a clear naming convention. John Herschel proposed names from Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream and Alexander Pope's The Rape of the Lock, breaking from the Greek and Roman mythology tradition used for moons of other planets. The names stuck, and all subsequent Uranus moons have been given names from those two literary sources, making Uranus the only planet with literary moon names.
How are Uranus's moons organized?
Three groups based on orbital characteristics. The five major moons orbit Uranus in regular, near-circular paths and likely formed alongside the planet. The 14 inner moons are small (most less than 100 miles across) and orbit close to Uranus, mixed in with the planet's rings. The 10 irregular outer moons orbit at steep angles, often backwards, and are likely captured asteroids or fragments. The inner moons are particularly interesting because they're closely intertwined with the ring system, with several shepherding the rings into their narrow structures.
Uranus has 29 known moons, with at least one more discovered just in the past year. The five large moons are scientifically rich (especially the weirdly scarred Miranda), and the small inner moons keep watch over the ring system. Uranus stands alone as the only planet whose moons are named after literary characters instead of mythological figures.
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