Recent findings reveal a surge in the number of moons orbiting Jupiter and Saturn. Jupiter now boasts 101 moons, while Saturn has an impressive 285. Overall, this brings the total count of known moons in our solar system to 442, not even counting the small moonlets around asteroids or objects in the Kuiper Belt.
The Minor Planet Center announced these new additions—four moons for Jupiter and 11 for Saturn. These discoveries are noteworthy but the new moons aren’t large; they average only about 1.9 miles (3 kilometers) in diameter. They orbit far from their planets and are faint, making them hard to see. For perspective, our Moon’s brightness is rated at -12.6, whereas these new moons sit between magnitudes 25 and 27.
The breakthrough came thanks to notable telescopes and dedicated astronomers. The new moons of Jupiter were identified by Scott Sheppard from the Carnegie Institution for Science and David Tholen from the University of Hawaii, using the Magellan–Baade telescope in Chile and the Subaru telescope in Hawaii. On the other hand, the team led by Edward Ashton from Taiwan discovered Saturn’s new moons using the Canada–France–Hawaii Telescope.
Interestingly, Sheppard and Ashton are leading figures in moon discovery, each having discovered over 200 moons. Both are known for their ongoing contributions to astronomy, with Ashton finding 128 new moons of Saturn just last year.
While Jupiter may have fewer moons than Saturn, upcoming missions like the Europa Clipper and the Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) could change that once they arrive in the early 2030s.
To recap the current moon tally: Earth has one, Mars has two, Jupiter has 101, Saturn has 285, Uranus has 28, and Neptune has 16. Interestingly, Venus and Mercury have none. For the dwarf planets, Pluto has five moons, Eris one, Makemake one, Haumea two, and Ceres has none.
These discoveries shine a light on the ever-expanding knowledge of our solar system and remind us of the mysteries that still await us in space. For further information, you can check out the official announcement from the Minor Planet Center here.
