Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system, now has the largest number of moons. Since December 20, the Minor Planet Center (MPC) has published the orbits of 12 previously unreported moons of Jupiter. This discovery increased the list of Jovian moons from 80 to 92. MPC’s orbital calculations confirm that the new moons are in orbit around Jupiter. With this many moons, Jupiter has now become the planet with the most moons in our solar system.
Sky&Telescope.org Report Dozens of new moons have been detected in observations by astronomer Scott Sheppard of the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, according to the Washington Post. Scott’s observation of these new 12 moons by the Minor Planet Center (MPC) published Has been done
There are now 92 confirmed moons in the Jovian system, and with this figure, Jupiter now has the most moons. Some of the newly discovered moons complete their orbits in 340 days and are very small and distant. In addition, 9 of these 12 moons are reported to be among the 71 outermost Jovian moons of the planet, with orbits longer than 550 days.
The report further states that three of the newly discovered moons are among the other 13 that orbit in a retrograde direction and are located between the large and near-Galilean moons and the retrograde moons orbiting far out.
In addition, data from Shepard’s observations have also reportedly confirmed the recovery of the last “missing” Jovian moon, S/2003 J 10. Observations have extended the track of its orbit to 18 years.
