Saturn, Jupiter moon count rises to record-breaking as astronomers discover new satellites
Astronomers have identified 11 new moons orbiting Saturn, bringing its total number of known satellites to 285. At the same time, Jupiter’s moon count has surpassed 100 for the first time, following the discovery of four additional moons, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
According to an announcement by the Minor Planet Center, the newly identified objects are relatively small, measuring at about 3 kilometers in diameter, and extremely faint, which explains why they had not been detected earlier. Scientists say their low brightness and distant orbits make them difficult to observe using conventional methods.
Jupiter’s four newly confirmed moons are:
● S/2011 J 4
● S/2011 J 5
● S/2018 J 5
● S/2024 J 1
Saturn’s 11 newly confirmed moons are:
● S/2020 S 45
● S/2020 S 46
● S/2020 S 47
● S/2020 S 48
● S/2023 S 51
● S/2023 S 52
● S/2023 S 53
● S/2023 S 54
● S/2023 S 55
● S/2023 S 56
● S/2023 S 57
Due to their small size and limited scientific distinction, the moons have not been given formal names and are instead identified by alphanumeric designations, in line with guidelines set by the International Astronomical Union. Researchers note that additional moons may be identified in the future as new data becomes available.
As Qazinform reported earlier, Chinese researchers have identified the first evidence of a magma recharge process on the Moon dating back around three billion years.
