Dante Mercurio

That’s no moon! Astronomers: “Uh, yes it is, and that one, and that one, and that one too.”

12 additional moons discovered around Jupiter.

#space #astronomy #science

https://phys.org/news/2023-02-jupiter-moon-solar.html

Jupiter's moon count jumps to 92, most in solar system

Astronomers have discovered 12 new moons around Jupiter, putting the total count at a record-breaking 92.

Phys.org
Feb 4, 2023 at 5:15pmWeb
Show threadGeoFeb 4, 2023
@dantemercurio A question about this: Moons are objects circulating around planets. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptun all have rings, which consist of small objects circulating around them. How would one keep apart large ring objects and very small moons? Is that possible? Do you have to draw an artificial line and say that an object above a certain size is large enough to count as a moon?
Show threadDante MercurioFeb 4, 2023
@Geo I’m no expert so not sure on your question. My understanding is that moons have no specific definition right now, so what qualifies is subjective.