Moonlet

The 400-meter moonlet Earhart in Saturn's A Ring, just outside the Encke Gap.

Another image of Earhart

Another moonlet named Bleriot

A moonlet named Santos-Dumont

A moonlet temporarily named S/2010 S 2

A moonlet, minor moon, minor natural satellite or minor satellite is a particularly small natural satellite orbiting a planet, dwarf planet or other minor planet. Three different types of small moons have been called moonlets:

• A belt of objects embedded in a planetary ring, as in Saturn's A Ring or S/2009 S 1 in the B Ring ("propeller" moonlets) or in Saturn's F Ring.
• Occasionally for asteroid moons, such as the moons of 87 Sylvia.
• Subsatellites.

See also

• Minor-planet moon
• Natural satellite
• Ring system

Further reading

• Google Book Search for "moonlet"