Saturn has once again become the leader in the number of satellites in the Solar System after the discovery of 128 more celestial bodies. As reported by IZ with reference to the IUA, these new objects were officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union, which increased the total number of satellites of the planet to 274. This allowed Saturn to leave Jupiter behind, which has only 95 confirmed satellites.
The new moons were discovered between 2019 and 2023, but their classification took several years. Most of these objects are irregularly shaped and small in size, suggesting their origin from an ancient cosmic collision. They are located in remote regions of Saturn's orbit and belong to the so-called Norse group.
Researchers believe that these moons may have been part of a larger body that broke apart in a violent collision. The discovery of such celestial bodies allows scientists to better understand the history of Saturn and its moon system, as well as the processes of planet formation and small objects in the solar system.
Recall that we previously wrote that a Ukrainian accused Microsoft of manipulating Majorana 1.