Saturn now has 274 moons, surpassing Jupiter

Astronomers recently announced the discovery of 128 new moons around Saturn, bringing the total number of its moons to 274. This makes Saturn the planet with the most moons in the Solar System. The discoveries were recognized by the International Astronomical Union and led by Edward Ashton from the Academia Sinica in Taiwan. The new moons were found using advanced imaging techniques at the Canada France Hawaii telescope. Many other moons were identified during past space missions, like those of the Voyager and Cassini missions. Saturn’s rings appear edge-on to Earth twice in 2025, which allows for better visibility of its moons. Saturn and Jupiter have been in competition for the most moons in recent years. In 2019, Saturn took the lead with 20 new moons, surpassing Jupiter. However, Jupiter briefly regained the title with 12 new moons in early 2023. Nonetheless, Saturn’s recent discovery of 128 moons solidified its lead. Saturn now has more moons than all other planets combined, while Earth has one moon, Mars has two, and Jupiter has 95. The newly discovered moons are small, ranging just a few kilometers in size. Determining what qualifies as a moon can be complicated, as irregular moons can be captured by a planet and differ from normal moons. Naming the new moons will take time. The International Astronomical Union governs astronomical naming, typically using names from mythology. With a large number of new moons to name, there may be a mix of mythologies in the future. While it remains unclear how many more moons may be discovered, advancements in technology could make future discoveries possible. Edward Ashton believes the number of new moons may decrease without improved tools.