This page collects all 6 moons whose names begin with the letter F, running from “Fafnir” all the way to “Francisco.” Nearly every moon on this list is a small, irregular satellite discovered in the early 2000s using ground-based telescopes. They orbit the outer planets of our solar system in distant, retrograde paths far from their parent planet. Most carry names drawn from Norse mythology or Shakespearean plays, which makes them surprisingly rich in cultural history for such tiny worlds.

Moons are natural satellites that circle a planet, held in orbit by the planet’s gravity. Our solar system holds more than 290 confirmed moons, ranging from massive worlds like Ganymede to rocky fragments just a few kilometers wide. The moons on this list fall firmly in the tiny category, yet each has an official name and a fascinating story behind it.

Below you’ll find the table with Moon, Parent Planet, Diameter (km), Discovery Year, and Description.

Moon: The official name of each moon on this list, recognized internationally, with every name here beginning with the letter F.

Parent Planet: The planet that each moon orbits, helping you place each moon in the right part of the solar system.

Diameter (km): The estimated size of the moon in kilometers, giving you a quick sense of just how small these bodies really are.

Discovery Year: The year astronomers first confirmed the moon’s existence, usually tied to improvements in telescope technology and dedicated sky surveys.

Description: A short summary of each moon’s orbit type, size context, and the cultural or literary origin of its name for quick reference.

Moons

MoonParent PlanetDiameter (km)Discovery Year
FafnirSaturn32004
FarbautiSaturn52004
FenrirSaturn42000
FerdinandUranus212001
FornjotSaturn62004
FranciscoUranus222001

Descriptions

Fafnir
A tiny irregular moon of Saturn in the Norse group, named after the dragon of Norse mythology who guards a treasure hoard. It follows a distant retrograde orbit far from Saturn.
Farbauti
A small irregular moon of Saturn named after Farbauti, the frost giant of Norse mythology and father of Loki. It travels in a retrograde orbit at a great distance from Saturn.
Fenrir
A small irregular moon of Saturn named after the monstrous wolf of Norse mythology. It orbits Saturn in a distant retrograde path and was discovered during a ground-based survey in 2000.
Ferdinand
A small, distant irregular moon of Uranus named after the Prince of Naples in Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Discovered in 2001, it follows a retrograde orbit far from Uranus.
Fornjot
A tiny irregular moon of Saturn belonging to the Norse group, named after a primordial giant in Norse mythology. It orbits Saturn in a retrograde direction at one of the largest known distances from the planet.
Francisco
A small irregular moon of Uranus named after a soldier in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Discovered in 2001, it orbits relatively close to Uranus compared to the planet’s other irregular moons.
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