Saturn օvertakes Jupiter with the most confirmed moons in the Solar System

Saturn has become the planet with the most confirmed moons in the solar system, overtaking its rival, Jupiter. According to new observations from the Minor Planet Center, a branch of the International Astronomical Union, Saturn has now been confirmed to have 117 moons, surpassing Jupiter's count of 95.

The 28 new natural satellites discovered around Saturn were observed by the Minor Planet Center, which is responsible for tracking minor planets. These new findings have pushed Saturn ahead of Jupiter in terms of the number of confirmed moons.

Saturn and Jupiter are the two most massive planets in the solar system, and their gravitational pull has helped them capture many passing space rocks into their orbit. Some of the most intriguing moons in the solar system orbit these two gas giants, such as Saturn's Enceladus and Jupiter's Ganymede.

However, the question of how many moons follow these two planets is not straightforward. There is an ongoing debate on what defines a moon, and there are currently hundreds of candidate moons for both planets that are waiting to be confirmed. Additionally, there is no strict definition of what makes a moon based on size alone.

Saturn's ring system also makes it particularly interesting. For now, the rings are not considered moons, but astronomers are constantly making new observations of natural satellites orbiting planets. This ongoing process means that the title of the planet with the most moons often swings back and forth between Saturn and Jupiter.

Earlier this year, Jupiter was believed to have the most moons in the solar system with 92 confirmed satellites. But since then, the discovery of 28 new natural satellites around Saturn has given it the lead. Furthermore, it's expected that even more moons of Saturn will be confirmed in the coming days.

The rivalry between Saturn and Jupiter is unlikely to be settled anytime soon. However, for the time being, Saturn can enjoy its place in the sun as the planet with the most confirmed moons in the solar system.