Hubble telescope discovers a new moon in our solar system

Telescope image shows Pluto's new moon (marked with a green circle) (Image source: Reproduction / NASA)

On July 7, the Hubble Space Telescope recorded what would be the newest satellite in our solar system. According to NASA reports, a team of astronomers found a fifth moon orbiting Pluto. The satellite, called P5, would be in an orbit about 100, 000 kilometers in diameter from the dwarf planet.

Still according to the announcement, the team responsible for finding our system's new moon would be intrigued by how such a small planet can have such a complex collection of satellites. In addition, the discovery provides additional clues for scholars to discover how Pluto's system formed and evolved.

Among the most widely accepted theories is the fact that all moons on the dwarf planet would be remnants of a collision between Pluto and another major Kuiper Belt billions of years ago.

Observations about the new satellite will also help scientists plan for a flyby by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft on the dwarf planet - an event scheduled for July 2015.

Source: NASA