There are 288 discovered natural satellites – or moons, as they are colloquially known – in the Solar system. Most of these are found in the outer gas giants. However, many of these have not received proper names as they were discovered recently and have yet to be confirmed. Only 164 moons have proper names.
Out of those, there are 5 moons whose names start with the letter F. These are all listed in the following table. Below you will also find some additional details about each, including physical characteristics, the original meaning of their names, etc.
| Moon Name | Planet | Name Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Farbauti | Saturn | Father of Loki |
| Fenrir | Saturn | Giant wolf from Norse mythology |
| Ferdinand | Uranus | Named after a charcter in Shakespeare’s play The Tempest |
| Fornjot | Saturn | A giant of Norse mythology |
| Francisco | Uranus | Named after a charcter in Shakespeare’s play The Tempest |
Farbauti
Discovered in 2004 by Scott S. Sheppard and David Jewitt, Farbauti is one of Saturn’s irregular satellites. With an estimated diameter of 5 kilometers, it follows a retrograde orbit at an average distance of 20.4 million kilometers from Saturn. The moon is named after a fire giant from Norse mythology who was the father of Loki. In Norse mythology, Farbauti’s name means “cruel striker,” and he was said to have fathered Loki with the giantess Laufey.
Fenrir
A small irregular satellite of Saturn discovered in 2004 by Scott S. Sheppard and his team. Named after the monstrous wolf from Norse mythology who was prophesied to kill Odin during Ragnarök, Fenrir is approximately 4 kilometers in diameter. It orbits Saturn at an average distance of 22.5 million kilometers in a retrograde direction. Like many of Saturn’s irregular satellites, Fenrir’s dark surface suggests it might be a captured asteroid.
Ferdinand
One of Uranus’s irregular moons, Ferdinand was discovered on August 13, 2001, by Matthew J. Holman and his team. With an estimated diameter of about 12 kilometers, it follows a retrograde orbit at an average distance of 20.9 million kilometers from Uranus. The moon is named after the honest and virtuous Prince Ferdinand from William Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest.” It is one of several Uranian moons named after characters from Shakespeare’s works, following the tradition started by William Herschel’s son John.
Fornjot
Discovered in 2004 by Scott S. Sheppard and David Jewitt, Fornjot is one of Saturn’s irregular satellites. The moon measures approximately 6 kilometers in diameter and orbits Saturn at an average distance of 25.1 million kilometers in a retrograde direction. Named after a primordial giant from Norse mythology who was considered the personification of the elements and the ancestor of all jötnar (giants), Fornjot was particularly associated with the sea and its power. The name Fornjot means “ancient giant” in Old Norse.
Francisco
Francisco is one of the irregular moons of Uranus, discovered on August 13, 2001, by Matthew J. Holman and his team using the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory. With an estimated diameter of 22 kilometers, it follows a retrograde orbit at an average distance of 22.6 million kilometers from Uranus. The moon is named after Francisco, a minor character in William Shakespeare’s play “The Tempest” who serves as a lord to King Alonso of Naples. Like many of Uranus’s irregular satellites, Francisco’s dark surface and retrograde orbit suggest it might be a captured object rather than having formed alongside the planet.
Click on a letter below for a list of moons that begin with it.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
Related:
For more on how moons are named check out this article.