Saturn reclaims title of having the most moons of any planet in the solar system

Saturn has been confirmed to have over 100 moons, meaning it may have the most of any planet in the solar system.

According to the University of British Columbia, the planet has overtaken Jupiter, which has only 95 moons.

The International Astronomical Union, which has the final say on orbiting bodies, agrees that 28 “moons” could now be added to Saturn’s capture, bringing the total to 117.

As the largest planets in the solar system, Saturn and Jupiter have so many moons because their masses create enough gravity to drag space rocks that orbit the sun into their own orbits.

But to be absolutely sure they have additional moons, objects must be tracked for several years before they can be classified as definitively orbiting the planet.

Saturn’s two largest moons are Titan (left) and Rhea (right). Titan is Saturn’s largest moon and the second largest moon in the solar system after Jupiter’s Ganymede

The University of British Columbia says it has recorded 62 new moons around Saturn, catapulting the planet back to first place in the solar system’s “moon race.”

However, some astronomers disagree with relatively small boulders being classified as moons next to huge moons such as Jupiter’s Ganymede, which is larger than the entire planet Mercury, with a diameter of more than 1,600 miles.

Gareth Williams, who recently retired from the Minor Planet Center of the International Astronomical Union, said: “Saturn’s new moons have certainly been discovered and they have certainly been confirmed, so there is no doubt about their existence and they are definitely Saturnian satellites.

“But Roman numerals, which are given to moons often named after Roman, Norse, and Inuit gods, aren’t immediately assigned.

“That happens after the object has been seen multiple times over a number of years, and the resulting orbit can be used to predict the moon’s future motion.”

Space expert Professor David Rothery, from the Open University, said: ‘Surveys by powerful telescopes, either ground-based or in space, are constantly finding additional small moons around both Jupiter and Saturn.

The University of British Columbia says it has recorded 62 new moons around Saturn, catapulting the planet back to first place in the solar system’s “moon race.” Pictured: 3D view of Saturn, its rings and its moons

In February, it was announced that twelve new moons have been discovered orbiting Jupiter, giving it the most moons of any planet in our solar system. This record has now been snatched by Saturn. Pictured: Jupiter and two of its largest moons, Ganymede and Europa

Jupiter’s two largest moons are Ganymede (left) and Callisto (right). Ganymede is the largest moon in the solar system and Callisto is the third largest moon in the solar system

“These are usually miles-sized chunks of comets or asteroids thrown into orbit long ago by the giant planet’s strong gravity.

“They’re not the spectacular world-sized moons with internal oceans like Europa and Enceladus.

“We’ll probably never know for sure which of Jupiter and Saturn really has the most moons, because the closer we look, the more we find, and there’s no agreement on the lower limit for the size of a piece of debris orbiting a planet.” planet rotates. before you can call it a moon.”

It’s because a study has concluded that Saturn’s rings are no older than 400 million years — much younger than the planet that formed more than four billion years ago.

Researchers used data collected from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft, which was destroyed in a controlled crash in 2017, on the last of cosmic dust that has accumulated around the planet’s rings, and can therefore pinpoint their ages, such as telling how old a house is made by running your finger along the surfaces.