Saturn and Its Moons
For many years, astronomers believed that Jupiter was the planet with the most moons. It was only in recent years that research revealed that Saturn had more.
In 2019, astronomers announced that they found 20 additional moons around Saturn that were never identified before. Each moon orbits around the planet in the same way that our moon orbits around Earth. Three of these moons have a diameter of around three miles. Some of the moons orbit the planet in a clockwise direction, but nearly 20 planets orbit in a counterclockwise direction. Saturn has both confirmed moons and unconfirmed/theorized moons.
One of the planet’s most unique moons is Titan, which is so large that it has an atmosphere. Most moons lack any type of atmosphere.
Jupiter Comes in Second
Second in terms of the planets with the most moons is Jupiter. As of 2019, NASA confirmed that the planet has 79 moons and satellites that orbit around it. Four of the planet’s moons are similar to our Earth in that they are large spheres. Another four smaller moons orbit closer to the surface of the planet. The remaining moons are smaller satellites that function in the same way. NASA believes that there may be additional moons not yet found around Jupiter.
Uranus
With 27 moons, Uranus ranks as one of the planets in the solar system with the most moons. A large number of those moons are made of more than 50% ice. This makes the moons much colder than our moon.
Neptune
Depending on how old you are, you might remember how shocked people were when NASA decided that Pluto was no longer a planet. It is now called a dwarf planet because of its size. To put this in perspective, Neptune has a moon that is roughly the same size as Pluto. This gives you an idea of how small that dwarf planet is in comparison to other planets. Though Triton is the moon of Neptune that compares to Pluto, the planet also has 13 other moons.
Mars
Also known as the Red Planet because of its color, Mars is home to two moons. When you see the planet on the big screen, you’ll often see those two moons in the background. Deimos is one of those moons. NASA named the planet’s other moon Phobos.
Earth
The Earth has just one moon, which we call simply the moon. It has an important effect on the planet, including setting the tides as they come out and recede into the ocean and determining the length of our days. The moon has many craters and valleys on its landscape.
Do Any Planets Lack a Moon?
The only two planets in the solar system that do not have any moons are Venus and Mercury. Mercury lacks a moon because of its proximity to the sun. The gravity of this planet would cause significant problems if it had a moon. Not only could the moon collide with Mercury, but it could crash into the sun too. Astronomers are unsure as to why Venus lacks a moon.
Saturn Wins
With more than 80 moons, it’s clear that Saturn wins the battle of which planet has the most moons. Next is Jupiter, which for many years was the winner in this category. Uranus, Neptune and Mars all have more than one moon also while the Earth has just one. These moons can include large spherical moons and smaller satellites that orbit around the planets in one of two directions.