Twenty new moons have been found around Saturn

2019/10/10 Galarraga Aiestaran, Ana - Elhuyar Zientzia Iturria: Elhuyar aldizkaria

• Astrofisika
• Astronomia

Through the Subaru telescope (Mauna Kea, Hawaii), they have discovered twenty new moons around Saturn, so far unknown. Thanks to this, Saturn has become the planet of the solar system with more moons. So far Jupiter had the most: 79. Saturn, in addition to these 20 new ones, has 82.

The found ones have an approximate diameter of 5 km, 17 orbits in the opposite direction to the rotation of the planet and the remaining three in the same sense.

According to astronomers, they were not created with the planet; gravitation fields are later captured bodies and provide interesting information about the creation of the solar system.

Saturn's outer moons are divided into three groups depending on the inclination and distance to the plane of the orbit: Inuit, Gallic and Nordic. Those who have found it now are from three groups, although the only one who has introduced it in the Galico is quite different from those that were before.

They have proposed several models to explain how they became the moon of Saturn. The analysis of the new findings may provide evidence to determine which is most appropriate.