Hippocamp (moon)

Hippocamp, also known as Neptune XIV, is a small moon of Neptune. It was discovered in 2013 by Mark R. Showalter using archival images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope between 2004 and 2009.

Hippocamp is irregularly shaped and estimated to be approximately 34 kilometers (21 miles) in diameter. It orbits Neptune in about 23 hours, at a distance of roughly 105,283 kilometers (65,420 miles) from the planet. Its orbit lies between that of Larissa and Proteus.

The moon is believed to be a fragment of Proteus, Neptune's second-largest moon. Scientists hypothesize that a large impact on Proteus billions of years ago created a debris field, from which Hippocamp eventually coalesced. This theory is supported by Hippocamp's proximity to Proteus and their similar albedos (reflectivity).

Hippocamp's original provisional designation was S/2004 N 1. It was officially named Hippocamp in 2019, after the mythological seahorse-like creature that is half-horse and half-fish. This name aligns with the International Astronomical Union's (IAU) convention of naming Neptune's moons after figures from Greek and Roman mythology associated with the sea god Neptune (Poseidon in Greek mythology).