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In October 2016, NASA's Cassini spacecraft captured of its last looks at Saturn and its main rings. Nearly three years later, astronomers have announced the discovery of 20 small moons orbiting Saturn, bringing the planet's total up to 82.
Today, astronomers announced that they have discovered 20 more moons around Saturn, bringing its total number to 82—the most for any planet in the solar system. The massive haul comes just over a year after astronomers announced 12 new moons orbiting Jupiter, but with the latest finds, Saturn’s retinue now surpasses Jupiter’s 79 known natural satellites.
originally posted by: PurpleFox
I don't understand how these moons haven't been found before?
Saturn’s newfound moons are all about three miles wide. They are so faint, they lie just about at the detection limit for the Subaru telescope, a facility atop Hawaii’s Mauna Kea volcano used in their detection.
originally posted by: moebius
originally posted by: PurpleFox
I don't understand how these moons haven't been found before?
They are tiny.
Saturn’s newfound moons are all about three miles wide. They are so faint, they lie just about at the detection limit for the Subaru telescope, a facility atop Hawaii’s Mauna Kea volcano used in their detection.
originally posted by: TheAlleghenyGentleman
a reply to: Ophiuchus 13
Space ships 30,000 miles long in saturns rings? That’s a lot to swallow. What are your thoughts on that.
When the cameras take an image of something like a moon with a very bright Saturn just out of view, light shining from the planet can reflect off parts of the inside of the camera and onto the sensor. The inside of each camera is coated with a black non-reflective substance to minimize this scattered light. Still, some light does get in and the result can be rays or large fuzzy circles of light.