Saturn overtakes Jupiter as planet with most
moons
Planets, dwarf planets and asteroids in our
solar system orbit the Sun. There are eight planets and five officially
recognized dwarf planets, including Pluto. They are orbited by moons, or
natural satellites, a few of which have atmosphere and even water under the surface.
Do you have any idea how many such natural
satellites have been discovered in our solar system? 214 in total, four of which
are larger than our moon in radius.
Recently, US researchers found 20 more natural
satellites orbiting Saturn, which made the total number of moons around the
planet to 82, three more than what Jupiter has. Interestingly, most of those
newly found moons orbit the ringed planet backward, or in a retrograde
direction, while the other three do in a prograde direction, the same direction
as Saturn rotates. Each takes two or more years to complete its orbit.
Scientists think there are more moons waiting
to be found. In the meantime, they are running a contest to give these newly
discovered moons names.
Are you interested to be a godfather of the
distant moons around Saturn?
Enjoy reading the article and learn about the moons
of our solar system.
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