Catastrophic collision, Saturn doubled the number of moons

(NLDO) - The 128 newly recognized moons have nearly doubled the total number of Saturn's natural satellites: 274.

According to Science Alert, a group of scientists has just identified 128 previously unknown satellites around Saturn.

This discovery has been recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU), bringing the total number of moons on this planet to 274, nearly double the old number and far surpassing the "runner-up" Jupiter with 95 moons.

Saturn as seen from one of its most famous moons - the "moon of life" Enceladus - Image from NASA data

Previously, in 2019-2021, 62 new moons of Saturn were discovered one after another, accompanied by faint signs that some scientists suspected could also be moons.

That prompted them to survey the same patch of sky more carefully for three consecutive months, said astronomer Edward Ashton of the Sincia Academy in Taiwan.

As a result, 128 more new moons have appeared one after another.

These moons are not large, nor do they have a beautiful spherical shape like Earth's satellite called the Moon.

They are quite small in size, only a few kilometers wide. Diameter is not mentioned here because they are not round but shaped like... potatoes.

Researchers believe they originally comprised a small group of larger objects, captured by gravity in Saturn's orbit early in the Solar System's history.

A series of subsequent collisions would smash them into smaller pieces, creating the impressive number of moons we see today.

Researchers also believe that many of these new moons are “baby moons,” formed in collisions as recently as 100 million years ago. That may seem like a long time, but it’s very short compared to the billions of years of history of the Solar System.

Many of these moons belong to the Norse Group, which are retrograde satellites, at tilted angles and in elliptical paths, outside Saturn's rings.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/va-cham-tham-khoc-sao-tho-nhan-doi-so-mat-trang-196250312164822746.htm