Saturn's moon count soars to record-breaking 274
Scientists have discovered 128 new moons orbiting Saturn, increasing the planet's total to 274. Saturn now boasts the greatest number of moons in our Solar System.
It appears that Saturn still holds many mysteries. Researchers recently announced the discovery of 128 new moons around the planet. Known for its impressive ring system, Saturn can now also claim to have the largest number of moons in the Solar System. According to the Science Alert portal, these newly discovered moons enhance the planet's orbit, significantly increasing its number of natural satellites to a total of 274. This information has been confirmed by the International Astronomical Union, which officially recognizes the discovery.
A new record in the solar system
Initial indications of additional moons around Saturn emerged in 2019, when 62 new objects were identified. Astronomer Edward Ashton from Academia Sinica in Taiwan explains that further observations conducted in 2023 confirmed the existence of another 128 moons.
Saturn's new moons are unlike earth's
The recently discovered moons are small, only a few miles in diameter, and have irregular shapes, differing from Earth's Moon. Scientists believe these are fragments of larger bodies captured by Saturn's gravity in the Solar System's early stages. Subsequent collisions may have broken them into smaller pieces.
These new moons belong to the Norse group, characterized by retrograde orbits and elliptical trajectories located beyond Saturn's rings. Scientists suspect that a collision occurred within this group around 100 million years ago, a relatively short period in planetary terms.
An article in the "Planetary Science Journal" details the discovery of 64 of these moons. This research expands our understanding of Saturn and contributes to our knowledge of the mysterious processes involved in moon formation within our Solar System.
