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What's New in Lunar & Planetary Science

Analysis of Hubble Space telescope images taken in 2004 has revealed a 14th moon orbiting Neptune. The moon, designated S/2004 N1, is estimated to be less than 20 km across and orbits about 105,000 km from Neptune with a period of approximately 23 hours.

The International Astronomical Union has approved the names of the fourth- and fifth-discovered moons of Pluto. The moon discovered in 2011 is "Kerberos", and the one discovered in 2012 is "Styx". For more, see the IAU Press Release.

Data returned by the Voyager 1 spacecraft indicate it passed into a zone of the heliosphere known as the depletion region, an area which shows some of the characteristics of interstellar space but is still dominated by the Sun's magnetic field. More information is available in the NASA Press Release.

This Day in Planetary and Lunar Exploration History

August 01

1967
Launch of Lunar Orbiter 5 to the Moon, final spacecraft in Lunar Orbiter series.
1971
Apollo 15 astronauts collect ancient lunar sample nicknamed the "Genesis Rock".

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