Astronomers have promoted Saturn as the planet the most moons. Saturn has overtaken the solar system's largest planet Jupiter as the "king the moons". The astronomers recently discovered 20 new moons orbiting Saturn, which brings the planet's total number to 82. This edges Jupiter, with 79 celestial bodies, second place. Each the newly-discovered moons are least 5km in diameter. Seventeen them orbit Saturn backwards and take more than three years to complete one orbit Saturn. The astronomers found the moons using the powerful Subaru telescope, located Hawaii. The research team will now look for moons that are around a kilometer diameter.
Lead astronomer Dr Scott Sheppard commented the perceived origins the new moons. He said: "We don't think they formed the planet. We think they were captured the planet the past." He posited that Saturn sucked a swirling mixture gas and dust to form the moons. Dr Shepperd added: "We think these moons interacted that gas and dust. These were comets or asteroids that happened to be passing ....They were captured orbits around the planet rather than falling the planet. We think these are the last remnants of what formed Saturn." The moons will be named a competition after giants from Gallic, Inuit and Norse mythology.
