Mab is a moon of Uranus, part of the Solar System in the universe. Uranus is a planet associated with the Sun, our star, and this space encyclopedia describes the moon’s identity and place in its planetary system.

Mab — A natural satellite of Uranus. Its physical properties and orbital motion are shown from the available catalogue and ephemeris data.

No object-specific chemical/elemental dataset has been verified and imported for this record. This does not mean none is publicly available. Appearance may be imagined; chemistry is not.

Discovery and designation
Mab was discovered in 2003. JPL credits M.R. Showalter, J.J. Lissauer. Its provisional designation is S/2003 U1. The name and discovery entry identify this particular satellite of Uranus; similarly named asteroids are separate objects.

Mab was discovered on Aug. 23, 2003 by Mark R. Showalter and Jack J. Lissauer, using the Hubble Space Telescope.

Mab is a small, inner moon of Uranus. It orbits at the same distance as one of the planet's rings, the Mu ring, and in fact may provide dust for that ring when the moon is struck by small meteoroids or ring particles. Because of its small size and dark color, it was overlooked in the Voyager 2 images until after it was spotted with a ground-based telescope in 2003.

Mab is queen of the fairies in English folklore. She is mentioned in a speech given in William Shakespeare's play, "Romeo and Juliet," so the name is at least somewhat in keeping with the practice of naming most Uranian moons after characters in Shakespeare's plays. The original designation for this moon was S/2003 U1.