King of Moons: 12 new moons found around Jupiter, most in solar system
King of Moons Jupiter: The number of moons around the orbit of Jupiter is more than any other planet in our solar system. Saturn, the one-time leader, comes in second with 83 confirmed moons.
King of Moons Jupiter: Beyond Earth's orbit, astronomers have discovered 12 new moons around Jupiter. This puts the total number of moons around the Solar System's largest planet at a record-breaking 92.
According to the PTI report, the number of moons around the orbit of Jupiter is more than any other planet in our solar system. Saturn, the one-time leader, comes in second with 83 confirmed moons.
The Jupiter moons were added recently to a list kept by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Centre, said Scott Sheppard of the Carnegie Institution, who was part of the team.
They were discovered using telescopes in Hawaii and Chile in 2021 and 2022, and their orbits were confirmed with follow-up observations.
These newest moons range in size from 0.6 miles to 2 miles (1 kilometer to 3 kilometers), according to Sheppard.
"I hope we can image one of these outer moons close-up in the near future to better determine their origins," he said in an email on Friday.
In April, the European Space Agency is sending a spacecraft to Jupiter to study the planet and some of its biggest, icy moons. And next year, NASA will launch the Europa Clipper to explore Jupiter's moon of the same name, which could harbor an ocean beneath its frozen crust.
Sheppard, who discovered a slew of moons around Saturn a few years ago and has taken part in 70 moon discoveries so far around Jupiter, expects to keep adding to the lunar tally of both gas giants.
Jupiter and Saturn are loaded with small moons, believed to be fragments of once bigger moons that collided with one another or with comets or asteroids, Sheppard said. The same goes for Uranus and Neptune, but they're so distant that it makes moon-spotting even harder.
For the record, Uranus has 27 confirmed moons, Neptune 14, Mars two and Earth one. Venus and Mercury come up empty.
Jupiter's newly discovered moons have yet to be named. Sheppard said only half of them are big enough ? at least 1 mile (1.
(With PTI inputs)
Get Latest Business News, Stock Market Updates and Videos; Check your tax outgo through Income Tax Calculator and save money through our Personal Finance coverage. Check Business Breaking News Live on Zee Business Twitter and Facebook. Subscribe on YouTube.
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Power of Compounding: How many years will it take to reach Rs 3 crore corpus if your monthly SIP is Rs 4,000, Rs 5,000, or Rs 6,000
IRCTC Dividend 2024: Railway PSU announces 200% interim dividend - Check record date and other details
Power of Compounding: Salary Rs 25,000 per month; is it possible to create over Rs 2.60 crore corpus; understand it through calculations
Reduce Home Loan EMI vs Reduce Tenure: Rs 75 lakh, 25-year loan; which option can save Rs 25 lakh and 64 months and how? Know here
Top 7 Large and Mid Cap Mutual Funds with Best SIP Returns in 5 Years: No. 1 fund has turned Rs 15,000 monthly SIP investment into Rs 20,54,384; know about others
New Year Pick by Anil Singhvi: This smallcap stock can offer up to 75% return in long term - Check targets
PSU Oil Stocks: Here's what brokerage suggests on these 2 largecap, 1 midcap scrips - Buy, Sell or Hold?
02:01 PM IST