The news: A team of astronomers have found 20 previously undiscovered moons orbiting Saturn. This takes the planet’s total number of known satellites to 82, moving it ahead of Jupiter, which has 79.
About the moons: They’re tiny: each about three miles (five kilometers) in diameter. Seventeen of them orbit Saturn backwards, meaning they move in the opposite direction of the planet’s rotation around its axis.
How they were discovered: They were found using the Subaru telescope, which sits atop dormant volcano Mauna Kea in Hawaii. Measuring 27 feet (8.2 meters), it’s one of the largest telescopes in the world.
A challenge: Carnegie Science has launched a challenge for anyone (yes, even you) to name the moons. You can submit your suggestions between now and December 9 2019 by tweeting at @SaturnLunacy.
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