• A. Jupiter
  • B. Saturn
  • C. Uranus
  • D. Neptune

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Think of the planet with those beautiful rings. In recent years, a massive number of new moons have been discovered there - some no bigger than a few kilometers!

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The correct answer is B. Saturn.

Saturn wins this cosmic popularity contest with a whopping 146 confirmed moons (as of 2024). Jupiter comes in second place with 95 moons. For a long time, Jupiter held the lead, but thanks to new discoveries in 2023, Saturn has claimed the crown.

The other options don’t even come close: - Jupiter has 95 moons, including the four large Galilean moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto - Uranus has 27 known moons, with Miranda and Titania being the most well-known - Neptune has 14 moons, with Triton by far the largest

And we’re not done counting yet - each year a few more are added as we get better telescopes.

📚 More background information

The battle between Jupiter and Saturn for the title of ‘most moons’ has actually been quite exciting. For years we thought Jupiter was unbeatable, but in 2023 there was a sudden turnaround.

The great discovery of 2023

Astronomers in Hawaii discovered 62 new moons around Saturn in one go. Not giants, mind you - most are just a few kilometers across. They often orbit the planet in strange, elongated paths. Many of these mini-moons are probably fragments from larger moons that once collided with each other.

Why so many moons?

Jupiter and Saturn are simply enormously massive. Their gravity pulls in everything that comes near - like a cosmic vacuum cleaner. And they’re located in a region of the solar system where many remnants still float around from when everything was formed. Ideal conditions, then, for collecting a whole collection of moons.

The most interesting specimens

Okay, Saturn has the most moons, but Jupiter’s moons are actually more exciting for scientists. Take Europa - it probably has an ocean of liquid water beneath a thick layer of ice. That’s interesting if you want to find extraterrestrial life. NASA’s Europa Clipper mission (launched in 2024) is now going to investigate this further.

And then there’s Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. It’s the only moon with a real atmosphere AND lakes on its surface. Only not water - they’re lakes of liquid methane. Bizarre.

How do we actually discover these moons?

Without modern technology, we would have had no idea there were so many moons. The Hubble Space Telescope has spotted dozens of new moons since 1990. And now the James Webb Telescope with its infrared cameras is making even better discoveries. Astronomers expect we’ll find even more moons, especially around the outer planets.

Fun details for the real nerds

Saturn’s smallest moons don’t even have real names - just a code like S/2019 S1. They only get an official name once their orbit and characteristics are fully confirmed. Then they’re named after Titans from Greek mythology, which is quite fitting for such a giant planet.

And here’s the thing: some moons are called ‘shepherd moons’ because they literally hold Saturn’s famous rings together with their gravity. Without those little moons, the rings might just fall apart. So they really do useful work up there.