Saturn solidifies its title as moon king with the discovery of 128 new moons

Abby Hughes · CBC Radio

· Posted: Mar 13, 2025 6:34 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

If you're a instrumentality of our nighttime entity present connected Earth and its singular moon, past you'd astir apt really, truly emotion the presumption from Saturn.

A squad of scientists — including a Canadian from the University of British Columbia — person identified an further 128 moons orbiting the ringed planet, bringing Saturn's full satellite number to 274. 

"Understanding however the planets formed and wherever [they] came from is ever rather awe-inspiring," Brett Gladman, a University of British Columbia prof and researcher who helped observe the caller moons, told As It Happens host Nil Koksal. 

The findings, which mean Saturn has much moons than the remainder of the different planets successful our star strategy combined, were ratified connected Tuesday by the International Astronomical Union.

Jupiter and Saturn person been locked successful a conflict for the astir moons for years — with Saturn stealing the crown from Jupiter lone 2 years agone erstwhile the aforesaid radical of researchers recovered 64 further moons orbiting it. But scientists accidental this find apt settles the people erstwhile and for all.

"We don't deliberation that Jupiter volition ever beryllium capable to reclaim that title," Gladman said.

He and the different scientists moving connected the task made the find utilizing the Canada France Hawaii Telescope, a 3.6-metre optical scope connected the acme of the dormant volcano Mauna Kea connected the Big Island of Hawaii.

Scientists person been capturing pictures of the moons utilizing the scope since 2019. The researchers aligned and layered 44 of those images connected apical of 1 different successful bid to heighten the quality of the moons and find what they were.

These moons are thing similar Earth's precise own, however. Sara Mazrouei, a planetary idiosyncratic and acquisition developer astatine Humber Polytechnic, says that portion we thin to deliberation of a spherical signifier erstwhile we perceive the connection moon, thing that orbits a planet, oregon different assemblage successful abstraction that is not a sun, is considered a moon. 

Mazrouei says galore of the moons surrounding different planets successful our star strategy — including the ones observed present — are successful information lone a fewer kilometres crossed successful size and oddly shaped, similar an asteroid.

Those irregular shapes and tiny sizes besides springiness clues into however the moons apt formed, Gladman says.

WATCH | Saturn smashes grounds arsenic the maestro of moons successful our star system:

The radical of scientists believes that astir the clip Saturn was forming immoderate 4 cardinal years ago, it pulled a fewer moderately ample moons into its orbit. Over the preceding millennia, those moons person collided from clip to time, breaking them into smaller pieces that proceed to orbit Saturn, according to Gladman.

Each of those smaller pieces are considered idiosyncratic moons, and is portion of wherefore Saturn's tally is truthful high.

Mazrouei says that aforesaid smashing-up process could immoderate time hap to Jupiter's moons, allowing them to multiply. But she adds events similar that are beauteous uncommon — meaning Saturn's rubric is reasonably safe, astatine slightest for the adjacent fewer 100 cardinal years.

Regardless, she says it's a bully time to beryllium a instrumentality of the ringed planet.

"[My favourite] utilized to beryllium Jupiter, but I person to accidental I person to deliberation astir it doubly today," Mazrouei said.