Astro Adventure: Saturn Breaks Record with 145 Moons!
Recommended for Preparatory Grades
Scientists have made an exciting discovery about Saturn, our neighboring planet in the solar system. They have found 62 new moons orbiting around Saturn. This brings the total number of moons around the planet to a remarkable 145. Also, it makes the planet with the most moons in our solar system. Importantly, this discovery also provides clues about Saturn’s intriguing past.
Previously, Jupiter held the record for having the most moons with 95 confirmed ones. However, Saturn surpassed Jupiter’s moon count with the recent discovery. Researchers from the University of British Columbia played a significant role in finding these new moons.
Important Details
- To detect these moons, an international team of scientists used data collected from the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope located in Hawaii. They carefully studied a series of images taken over a period of three hours between 2019 and 2021.
- By doing so, they identified 62 moons that were previously too small or faint to be seen. Some of these newly discovered moons are incredibly tiny, measuring only 1.6 miles (2.5 kilometers) wide.
- Scientists have given a special name to these 62 moons. They are called “irregular moons” because they travel in faraway, curved paths around Saturn and go in the opposite direction of how Saturn spins. Interestingly, many of these irregular moons share similar orbits, suggesting that they may have originated from a larger moon that broke apart millions of years ago.
- Brett Gladman is an astronomy and astrophysics professor at the University of British Columbia. He believes that around 100 million years ago, a medium-sized moon orbiting backwards around Saturn was shattered into smaller pieces. As a result, this finding provides valuable insight into the history of Saturn’s moon system.
- The International Astronomical Union is a prestigious organization responsible for officially recognizing celestial bodies. And it is expected to acknowledge these newly discovered moons later this month. This remarkable achievement expands our knowledge of the solar system and the fascinating celestial objects within it.
Similar Stories
Watch a video
Well, NASA is spilling all the juicy details about the moon Enceladus!
Curious Times is a leading newspaper and website for kids. We publish daily global news aligned to your learning levels (also as per NEP 2020): Foundational, Preparatory (Primary), Middle and Senior. So, check out the News tab for this. We bring kids’ favourite Curious Times Weekly newspaper every weekend with top news, feature stories and kids’ contributions. Also, check out daily JokesPoke, Tongue Twisters, Word of the Day and Quote of the Day, kids need it all the time.
Curious Times News Program for Schools for FREE. Over 5,000 schools and teachers from all over the world have joined our programme so that students and teachers can get FREE Educative Newspaper. Here, kids can take part in world events and win prizes and certificates for free through their schools.
Moreover, schools are sharing important School News, like interviews with the principal, notices about new students, contests, and results, not just on social media but also on a news website for kids and other schools.
Thus, do not wait any further, sign-up for your school for FREE.
The following social media platforms allow you to communicate with us: WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
0 (Please login to give a Curious Clap to your friend.)