Jupiter, the largest gas planet in the solar system, has been named the planet with the most moons, setting a record of 92 known moons.
On January 20, the Asteroid Center was recognized as the last of 10 recently discovered satellites, with 92 in total becoming official figures. Until now, Saturn was the planet with the most satellites, with 83, but Jupiter took its place.
As of 2017, Jupiter had only 67 moons. However, in 2017 and 2018, the Carnegie Research Center team discovered 12 hitherto unknown satellites orbiting Jupiter, increasing the total number of Jupiter’s moons to 79, slightly less than Saturn’s 83.
Then, in 2021 and 2022, three more were found. Now, the research team has additionally discovered 10 satellites that have been recognized by the International Astronomical Union’s Asteroid Research Institute, the Asteroid Center. The team discovered the new moon using telescopes located at observatories in Hawaii and Chile. In addition, they conducted tracking observations with the 6.5m Magellan Telescope at the Chilche Las Campanas Observatory to confirm whether the observed celestial bodies were actual satellites. Recently, it was confirmed that 10 satellites vary in size and width, but all are more than 1 km in diameter, and half are more than 1.5 km in diameter.
The research team originally said that the main investigation was to find a planet located in the outer solar system in front of Pluto, but by chance they also observed satellites around Jupiter. These satellites are now public and have yet to be named, and the Asteroid Center is expected to number the new satellites in the coming months, with some naming possible by then.
The reason Saturn and Jupiter have many moons is that they are fragments of formerly larger moons collapsing from collisions with asteroids or other moons. Future missions to Jupiter, including ESA’s JUICE and NASA’s Europa Clipper, are expected to bring high-resolution images of the newly discovered moon.
If enough are found, at least one of them should get close enough to orbit to capture a close-up image, he said. These outer moons are the last remnants of a collection of objects formed in a giant planetary field, and are significant because most of the material material is planetary.
In recent years, the two largest gas planets in the solar system have had to compete for the planet with the most moons. The Asteroid Center recognized 20 new satellites within Saturn that the research team found in 2019, making Saturn 82, and Jupiter at the time recorded 79. In 2021, the total number of Saturn satellites has risen to 83. However, Jupiter’s place may not last long, as Saturn is currently searching for new moons. Related information this placecan be found in