Vancouver, British Columbia – Saturn’s moon count has nearly doubled with the recent discovery of 128 new moons, bringing the total to an impressive 274 moons. This surpasses Jupiter’s moon count of 95 and makes Earth’s single moon seem quite lonely. A collaborative team of astronomers from Taiwan, Canada, the United States, and France used the Canada France Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) to make this groundbreaking discovery, which was officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union on March 11.
Most of the newly discovered Saturnian moons are small and irregular, only a few miles across, in contrast to Earth’s large moon with a diameter of 2,159 miles. However, these moons have distinctive orbits around Saturn, a criteria necessary for official moon status. Dr. Brett Gladman, a professor at the University of British Columbia department of physics and astronomy, explained that these moons are likely fragments of larger moons that were broken apart due to collisions.
This recent discovery is not the team’s first contribution to Saturn’s moon count. Between 2019 and 2021, their observations led to the addition of 62 moons to Saturn’s roster. Dr. Edward Ashton, the lead researcher and a postdoctoral fellow at the Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics at Academia Sinica, shared that their dedication to scanning the sky consistently over three months in 2023 led to the revelation of 128 more moons orbiting Saturn.
Saturn’s moon exploration dates back to 1655 with the discovery of Titan by Christiaan Huygens. Over the years, astronomers like Jean-Dominique Cassini and William Herschel added to the list of known Saturnian moons. Technological advancements, such as photography, telescopes, and space probes like Voyager 1, Voyager 2, and Cassini, have allowed scientists to continuously expand their understanding of Saturn’s moon system.
Despite the recent surge in moon discoveries around Saturn, the team believes that current technology may have reached its limit in exploring moons around Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The remarkable findings underscore the ongoing fascination and exploration of our solar system’s diverse celestial bodies, providing vital insights into the complexities of the universe.