The International Astronomical Union (IAU) recently confirmed the discovery of 128 moons previously unknown around Saturn. This solidifies its position as the planet with the most natural satellites in the Solar System.
With this finding, the gas giant now has a total of 274 known moons, surpassing Jupiter, which has 95.
These new moons add to an already impressive list that includes Janus, Pandora, Enceladus, Tethys, Rhea, Dione, Iapetus, and Mimas, among others. The first hints of these bodies emerged between 2019 and 2021, when scientists identified 62 additional satellites along with other smaller objects that could not be classified at that time.
Origin and Nature of Saturn’s Moons
Unlike Earth’s Moon, Saturn’s moons are smaller, with diameters of just a few kilometers. According to scientists, these moons may have formed from a group of objects captured by the planet’s gravity during the early days of the Solar System. Subsequent collisions would have fragmented them into their current forms.
One of these collisions is believed to have occurred about 100 million years ago in the northern region of Saturn, a relatively recent event considering the Solar System’s age of 4.6 billion years. These moons orbit outside Saturn’s rings in elliptical and inclined paths, many in retrograde motion.
Unique Characteristics
According to Science Alert, Saturn’s moons have rounded and irregular shapes, with some resembling potatoes. Although their size and appearance set them apart from Earth’s Moon, their discovery provides a fascinating insight into gravitational dynamics and collisions in the Solar System.
These research findings were published in the Planetary Science Journal, marking a significant advancement in the exploration and understanding of outer space. With increasingly precise technologies, the study of Saturn’s moons could shed new light on the origins and evolution of our planetary system.
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