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Cover author: Michał Kałużny http://astrofotografia.pl/

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Why Saturn has another new moon (www.bbc.com)

submitted 1 year ago by wave_walnut@kbin.social to c/space@kbin.social

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Astronomers recently announced that they had discovered 62 new moons around the ringed planet Saturn and more are being added to the list. So, how have they lain hidden for so long?

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[–] Tinister@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Do you think the IAU is worried that if we refer to any piece of debris revolving around a planet as a "moon" that school-aged children won't be able to memorize all the moons in the solar system?

[–] kamenoko@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Past a certain point in size, the moons are only interesting to scientists and amateurs. Teaching them about the 20 or so "Regular Moons" should be sufficient.

[–] Tinister@kbin.social 1 points 1 year ago

Yeah! And maybe to help the school children out there should be a distinction between regular moons and other moons.

Maybe call them "dwarf moons".