A team of astronomers from Taiwan, Canada, the U.S., and France has confirmed the discovery of 128 new moons orbiting Saturn, cementing the gas giant’s status as the “Moon King” of our solar system. This breakthrough raises Saturn’s total moon count to an impressive 274, far surpassing Jupiter’s 95 moons.
The discovery of the 128 new moons around Saturn was made in 2023 using the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. However, the International Astronomical Union officially recognized these moons on March 11, 2025.
The team, led by Dr. Edward Ashton from Academia Sinica in Taiwan, revisited earlier observations in 2023 to confirm the presence of these additional moons. The newly discovered moons are all relatively small, with diameters ranging from 1 to 3 kilometers.
“These aren’t large moons like Titan or Enceladus,” explains Dr. Elena Vasquez, lead astronomer on the project. “They’re more like small rocky bodies captured by Saturn’s gravity over time. But they still count as moons since they orbit the planet in stable patterns.”
Most of the new moons follow irregular orbits, suggesting they were not formed alongside Saturn but were captured later. They orbit at significant distances from the planet, with some taking more than three Earth years to complete a single orbit around Saturn.
This discovery highlights how technology continues to enhance our understanding of the solar system. “Twenty years ago, we could only detect the largest moons,” notes Dr. James Chen, planetary scientist at the Pacific Astronomy Institute. “Now our instruments can identify smaller and more distant objects, revealing just how complex Saturn’s system truly is.”
The finding raises questions about how Saturn managed to capture so many objects. Researchers suggest its position in the solar system and strong gravitational field make it particularly effective at capturing passing objects.
The research team has begun the process of naming these new moons, following the IAU convention of using names from various mythologies. The public may even be invited to participate in naming some of these newly discovered natural satellites in the coming months.
FAQ’s
How many moons does Saturn have?
Saturn currently has 274 moons officially recognized by the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Previously, the planet had 146 known moons, but a recent discovery of 128 additional moons by a team led by Dr. Edward Ashton from Academia Sinica, Taiwan, has increased the total count. This makes Saturn the ‘Moon King’ of our solar system.