In a celestial discovery that has space enthusiasts and astronomers across the globe looking skyward in awe, Saturn has firmly secured its regal title as the ‘Moon King’ of our solar system. The recent discovery of 128 new moons orbiting the ringed giant has not only tipped the scales in its longstanding rivalry with Jupiter but has also expanded our understanding of the cosmic dance of celestial bodies.
The International Astronomical Union (IAU), the authority responsible for naming and cataloguing celestial objects, has officially recognised these new moons, thanks to the diligent work of an international team of astronomers from Taiwan, Canada, the United States, and France.
This discovery brings Saturn’s moon count to a staggering 274, nearly doubling the combined total of all other moons in our solar system.
Edward Ashton, an astronomer at the Academia Sinica in Taiwan, expressed the significance of this finding to New Scientist, saying, ‘These are small little rocks floating in space, so some people might not find it quite an achievement. But I think it’s important to have a catalogue of all the objects in the solar system.’
This sentiment underscores the importance of understanding our cosmic neighbourhood in its entirety, no matter how small the players may be.
Saturn has 128 newly-discovered moons. Here they are color-coded by their MPEC release. Orange: MPEC 2025 E153, Purple: MPEC 2025-E154, Green: MPEC 2025-E155. pic.twitter.com/0aO6WXl7Ni
— Tony Dunn (@tony873004) March 12, 2025
The discovery was made using the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT) at Mauna Kea, between 2019 and 2021. The astronomers employed a ‘shift and stack’ technique, which involves layering multiple images of a moon’s orbital path to increase its visibility. This method had previously led to the identification of 62 other moons around Saturn in 2023, setting the stage for this even more significant find.
The moons themselves are irregular, potato-shaped, and only a few miles across. They orbit Saturn at distances ranging from about 6.5 million to almost 18 million miles, well beyond the planet’s iconic rings and larger moons.
The origins of these moons are thought to be as dramatic as their discovery. Astronomers believe they are fragments of ancient moons that were captured by Saturn’s gravity in the early days of our solar system. These fragments likely collided with other moons or comets, leading to their current form.
Brett Gladman, an astronomer from the University of British Columbia in Canada, explains that the moons have been grouped into potential families based on their fragmentation sources. One such family, named Mundilfari after a Norse deity, is believed to have formed from a collision that occurred no more than 100 million years ago.
The classification of these objects as moons, however, is not without debate.
‘I don’t think there’s a proper definition for what is classed as a moon. There should be,’ Ashton tells the Guardian.
For the time being, the IAU considers any object with a traceable orbit around a host body to be a moon.
The implications of these discoveries extend beyond mere cataloguing. Elizabeth Day, a geophysicist from Imperial College London who was not involved in the research, tells New Scientist that understanding the distribution of asteroids and moons is crucial for future resource extraction in space.
Now comes the task of naming these 128 new moons. In keeping with Saturnian tradition, they will likely be named after Viking gods, which could be an interesting challenge given the sheer number of moons.
As technology advances, allowing us to detect more orbiting objects, the criteria for what constitutes a moon may come under scrutiny. But for now, Saturn can bask in its newfound glory as the undisputed ‘Moon King.’
What do you think about this recent discovery? And how do you feel about the ever-expanding boundaries of our cosmic knowledge? Share your thoughts with the YourLifeChoices community in the comments below.
Also read: Moon placed on World Monument Fund list of heritage sites in need of protection
