Larissa is a moon of Neptune, first seen on 24 May 1981 by a team of astronomers led by Harold Reitsema during a stellar occultation, when a star briefly dimmed as the object passed in front of it. The observation suggested the presence of a body near Neptune, but it was not confirmed as a moon until the Voyager 2 spacecraft flew past the planet in 1989 and took images of it. Larissa is an irregular, potato-shaped object and one of Neptune's inner moons, orbiting close to the planet. It is named after a nymph of Greek mythology who was a lover of the sea god Poseidon, the counterpart of the Roman Neptune.
Before and after
- 12 April 1981First flight of Columbia
- 28 April 1981Birth of Jessica Alba
- 11 May 1981Death of Bob Marley
- 20 May 1981Birth of Iker Casillas
- 24 May 1981Discovery of Larissa
- 2 June 1981Establishment of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park
- 5 June 1981The first cases of AIDS are reported
- 7 June 1981Operation Opera
- 9 June 1981Birth of Natalie Portman
More in Universe & space
- 1 May 1949Discovery of Nereid
- 5 March 1979Discovery of Thebe
- 8 July 1979Discovery of Adrastea
- 16 June 1989Discovery of Proteus
- 23 July 1995Discovery of Comet Hale-Bopp
- 15 May 2005Discovery of Nix
The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.