Neptune’s moons twirl around each other in an unprecedented dance

Far out on the edge of the solar system, chilly Neptune takes 165 years to complete a single orbit around the sun. And in orbit around Neptune are 14 moons, some of which are even geologically active. Now, new research reveals more about the movements of the planet’s innermost moons, Naiad and Thalassa, which have a highly unusual, unprecedented orbit.

Naiad and Thalassa are tiny, irregularly shaped moons, both being around 100 kilometers (62 miles) across at their widest points. They also orbit extremely close to each other, with their orbits being only 1,150 miles (1,850 kilometers) apart. However, the two never collide with each other, as their orbits move around each other in what astronomers are called a “dance of avoidance.”



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