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Saturn has 128 new moons – more than the rest of the planets combined (www.newscientist.com)

submitted 3 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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[–] [email protected] 21 points 3 months ago

*"Newly identified moons" I'm pretty sure they've been there for a while.

Having 128 new moons would really be noteworthy!

[–] grillgamesh 13 points 3 months ago

Perhaps when they become fully operational battle stations?

[–] otter 8 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

Slut.

Try not to grab another moon on your way through the parking lot!

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago

What, having the best rings wasn't good enough for Saturn? Gosh, how greedy. /s

[–] [email protected] 5 points 3 months ago (1 children)

This is a great question. It's like asking when a rock is too small to be a planet. I suspect there were be a definition eventually that mirrors the planetary definition -- something like "spherical(ish) and clears its orbit". The issue is that Mars would lose its two moons under that definition.

So we might end up with something like "moons" vs "natural satellites" and Mars will just have to suck it up.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 3 months ago

Moons vs. dwarf moons? (Sounds like a fantasy novel series.)

[–] [email protected] 2 points 3 months ago

"Did you bring enough to share with the whole class?"

the class: