Latest news with #Saturnian
NDTV
16-07-2025
- Science
- NDTV
Alien Environment On Saturn's Biggest Moon May Support Building Blocks Of Life, Study Suggests
NASA revealed that cell-like compartments, known as vesicles, could form naturally in the lakes of Saturn's moon Titan. The lakes on Saturn's largest moon are filled with liquid hydrocarbons like ethane and methane. These vesicles are vital for the development of protocells, which are simple structures that can support chemical reactions. Titan's environment is different from Earth's as it has extremely low temperatures and a thick atmosphere, containing nitrogen and methane. Scientists believe that it could allow the formation of life forms that are distinct from those on Earth. According to research published on July 10 in the journal International Journal of Astrobiology, the formation of vesicles on Titan is thought to occur through the interaction of amphiphiles, which are molecules that have both "methane-loving" and "methane-avoiding" properties. These molecules can form bilayer structures that resemble cell membranes. "The existence of any vesicles on Titan would demonstrate an increase in order and complexity, which are conditions necessary for the origin of life," Conor Nixon of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center said in a statement. "We're excited about these new ideas because they can open up new directions in Titan research and may change how we search for life on Titan in the future." Scientists believe that vesicles might form on Titan when methane raindrops splash onto the surface of lakes and seas, creating a mist of droplets coated in amphiphiles. These droplets can then settle back onto the lake and form vesicles. The research could open up new directions in the search for life beyond Earth. If life can form in Titan's hydrocarbon lakes, it might be possible that life exists elsewhere in the universe under different environmental conditions. NASA's mission for the Saturn moon Titan The upcoming Dragonfly rotorcraft is NASA's first mission to Titan. The mission's focus is to explore the surface of the Saturnian moon, study the surface composition, make atmospheric and geophysical measurements, and also characterise its habitability. Titan's lakes and seas are not a destination for Dragonfly.
Time of India
21-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Weekly Numerology Horoscope, 23 June - 29 June, 2025: Weekly Numerology Prediction for All Birth Numbers - A week of emotional release, spiritual growth and making peace with the past. Decode your week before it begins!
Numerology Horoscope, Weekly Numerology Prediction: Weekly Numerology Horoscope: Number 1 (Born on 1st, 10th, 19th, 28th) Live Events Weekly Numerology Horoscope: Number 2 (Born on 2nd, 11th, 20th, 29th) Weekly Numerology Horoscope: Number 3 (Born on 3rd, 12th, 21st, 30th) Weekly Numerology Horoscope: Number 4 (Born on 4th, 13th, 22nd, 31st) Weekly Numerology Horoscope: Number 5 (Born on 5th, 14th, 23rd) Weekly Numerology Horoscope: Number 6 (Born on 6th, 15th, 24th) Weekly Numerology Horoscope: Number 7 (Born on 7th, 16th, 25th) Weekly Numerology Horoscope: Number 8 (Born on 8th, 17th, 26th) Weekly Numerology Horoscope: Number 9 (Born on 9th, 18th, 27th) Each birth number (calculated from date of birth) will respond differently to this week's vibration. While some may experience personal breakthroughs and healing, other may be tested emotionally to surrender control. It's a strong week for inner work and clearing clutter(mental and emotional).Use this time to Journal your feelings and make peace where needed. Focus on what you truly want to carry forward. Karmic patterns are in motion, choose peace over pride. Sometimes the most powerful move is the one where you choose to let week is a soulful mirror for birth number 1. As the leader of numerology, you are naturally driven by ambition, direction and achievement, but in this particular week the energies ask you to soften your grip on control. Trying harder will not take you further this week. In fact the more you push, the more resistance you may of asserting control, empower others- a humble move will lead to long term respect. Emotional triggers may arise -especially from the people questioning your decision or your efforts. This week may feel like a spiritual detox for your ego. Relationships may go through a reset. As suggested by the weekly numerology horoscope, this week's energy may feel slower or reflective in your career. You might notice delays in making Colour: Royal BlueLucky Number: 1,8,10Lucky Day: Wednesday Weekly Affirmation : 'I lead with purpose and welcome fresh opportunities.'This week carries strong Saturnian energy(8), which emphasises structure, authority and responsibility, while number 2 is ruled by Moon (sensitive, intuitive, emotional and peace loving). Attributes of both the planets are opposite of each other, coming together this week may create tension but also an opportunity. If you channel your emotions with discipline, major breakthroughs are may feel slightly overwhelmed by pressure or external expectation but this week is asking you to strengthen your emotional boundaries, use you intuition well and focus on practical may experience moments of over thinking and emotional conflicts. Working in high pressure environment may seem too rigid or harsh for you but actually it's your chance to upgrade your emotional intelligence. Choose facts over feeling when making colour: Silver, Pearl whiteLucky Number: 2,6,20Lucky Day: FridayWeekly Affirmation: 'I attract harmony and align with supportive people.'This week brings a divine collaboration between Jupiter (your ruling planet) and Saturn (vibration of this week). While you love freedom and optimism, this week asks you to discipline your creativity, ground your ideas and take action with creative fire is powerful, but it needs a strong container. Saturn will provide that if you accept its rules. This is the week to turn your ideas into action and your dreams into may feel mentally restricted and emotionally boxed this week. Take this as challenge, stay positive and expressive within boundaries. Channelize the pressure into a great time for launching online contents, building Strategy or pitching a new project. If your partner is feeling heavy or distant, don't try to 'cheer them up' superficially. Instead communicate, when they possess emotional may attract someone mature who respects your ambition and intellect. Be clear about your Colour: Gold and YellowLucky Number: 3,6,9Lucky Day: ThursdayWeekly Affirmation: 'I offer love with joy and i receive love with truth.'This is going to be most aligned and harmonious week of the year for number 4 people. Both 4 and 8 vibrate with structure, order, discipline, responsibility and result. This week is a golden chance to reclaim your power, lay solid foundations and complete unfinished are entering in a zone of deep mental clarity, ideas that are floating around in your mind may finally start taking shape as practical plans. You'll crave solitude - not to isolate, but to focus. Great week to solve long-standing problems logically. You may feel less emotional but more determined this decisions at work will be rewarded. Take initiatives, you will naturally step into a leadership position formally or relationship, communicate your need for space and focus this week. Singles may attract someone older and Colour: Charcoal grey, BlackLucky Number: 4, 8, 22Lucky Day: SaturdayWeekly Affirmation: 'I honour both love and purpose in balanced way.'This is a week of stretch between free spirited, adventurous essence and strict, no nonsense Saturn energy. It's not a clash but a sacred collaboration. When both energies are honoured, you can achieve massive result. This is your chance to prove that freedom and responsibility can co-exist. Structured freedom will be your superpower this to the weekly numerology horoscope, you may feel push-pull dynamic in your thought. One part of you wants to explore and move fast and other part wants you to slow down, commit and plan. Use tools like to-do list and schedule work with mindfulness to stay productive this towards your professional strategies. Mercury will give you great ides, while Saturn will ask you to test them. Don't jump from project to project-pick one and perfect it. It's an excellent time to negotiate, close deals and also avoid impulsive changes. Focus on long term gains, not quick hitsIn relationship, arguments may arise if you resist responsibility plan something meaningful instead of spontaneous. Singles, avoid ghosting or escapist Colour: Emerald greenLucky Number: 5,14, 23Lucky Day: WednesdayWeekly Affirmation: 'I welcome change and trust the flow of life.'This week is a cosmic partnership between grace and grit. Venus radiates beauty, comfort and connection while Saturn deals with accountability, legacy and discipline. Although their energies are different but they bring mature love and soulful responsibility, when together. This week will push you to refine your emotional world and bring long-term value to your week may feel more serious than usual-less about Indulgence, more about introspection. Your emotional Intelligence will shine if you allow space for silence. Avoid emotionally rescuing others at the cost of your own undervaluing your services. If you're in beauty, fashion, art, healing or designing activities this week can boost your credibility. Make wise decisions for property, finance and relationship, deep conversation will arise-don't avoid them. Strengthen long term vision and discuss about goals. For singles, you may attract someone older, mature and serious minded Colour: Pink, creamLucky Number: 6,15,24Lucky Day:FridayWeekly Affirmation: 'I give love and receive love in return.'This is the week of duality for you. A contrast between your natural inclination to introspect and connect spiritually and demanding energy of week may feel little overwhelmed early in this week by the noise and responsibility around you. By mid of the week, natural rhythm will come back calmer, deeper and more focused. Protect your mental energy, journal more and speak week for researches, healers, counsellors, writers and spiritual in Financial matter may relationship, you will crave emotional depth not casual flings. Avoid partner who demand too much attention or fast answer. For singles, a spiritually aligned partner or mentor may appear or re-enter your Colour: White or Light purpleLucky Number:7,16,25Lucky Day: MondayWeekly Affirmation: 'I honour silence and seek deeper understanding.'This is going to be a blessed week for you. Both birth number and universal week's numbers are perfectly aligned together. This Brings power, focus and karmic does't give easily, it tests before it rewards. This is your week to show who you really are, responsible, strategic and unstoppable when will be either laser-focused or heavily burdened, depending on how well you've planned your week. You can make major decision in carrier and finances. Promotions, power roles offers may emerge, but only if you've done the ground work. It's time to revisit pending documents, debts or legal conflicts may rise but everything will be alright if you open up slowly and honestly. Discuss about finances, boundaries and goals with your partner. Avoid ego conflicts and overworking without Colour: Navy Blue, IndigoLucky Number: 8, 17,26Lucky Day: SaturdayWeekly Affirmation: 'I am capable, confident and ready to succeed.'The planet of fire and action meets the planet of karma and patience. This week is all about channeling your intensity into purpose. You may feel emotionally intense or irritable this week. Allow yourself to release what doesn't align. Stay grounded, avoid jumping to conclusion in are a natural leader but this is the time to lead with emotional wisdom. Some responsibilities may feel unfair but carry them with grace. If working in NGO's, law, counselling, art or military/police, big breakthroughs are possible. A past finance matter may reach a turning point this honest rather than just being romantic in a relationship. It's a week for soul connection and emotional accountability. Unresolved love stories may try to re-enter in life. Singles may attract someone karmic, older or emotionally matured. Let go of resentment and help someone without Colour: Maroon, Deep redLucky Number: 9,18,27Lucky Day: TuesdayWeekly Affirmation: 'I love with truth, I release with grace.'This week (June 23 – June 29, 2025), encourages emotional detox, letting go of past baggage, and embracing inner peace. Reflect, reset, and realign your goals for a more meaningful second half.____________________________________________________________________________
Economic Times
21-06-2025
- General
- Economic Times
Weekly Numerology Horoscope, 23 June
ET Online Weekly Numerology Horoscope (23 June - 29 June, 2025), Weekly Predictions: Get emotional clarity, spiritual growth, and peace with the past. Each birth number (calculated from date of birth) will respond differently to this week's vibration. While some may experience personal breakthroughs and healing, other may be tested emotionally to surrender control. It's a strong week for inner work and clearing clutter(mental and emotional). Use this time to Journal your feelings and make peace where needed. Focus on what you truly want to carry forward. Karmic patterns are in motion, choose peace over pride. Sometimes the most powerful move is the one where you choose to let go. This week is a soulful mirror for birth number 1. As the leader of numerology, you are naturally driven by ambition, direction and achievement, but in this particular week the energies ask you to soften your grip on control. Trying harder will not take you further this week. In fact the more you push, the more resistance you may feel. Instead of asserting control, empower others- a humble move will lead to long term respect. Emotional triggers may arise -especially from the people questioning your decision or your efforts. This week may feel like a spiritual detox for your ego. Relationships may go through a reset. As suggested by the weekly numerology horoscope, this week's energy may feel slower or reflective in your career. You might notice delays in making decisions. Lucky Colour: Royal Blue Lucky Number: 1,8,10 Lucky Day: Wednesday Weekly Affirmation: 'I lead with purpose and welcome fresh opportunities.'This week carries strong Saturnian energy(8), which emphasises structure, authority and responsibility, while number 2 is ruled by Moon (sensitive, intuitive, emotional and peace loving). Attributes of both the planets are opposite of each other, coming together this week may create tension but also an opportunity. If you channel your emotions with discipline, major breakthroughs are possible. You may feel slightly overwhelmed by pressure or external expectation but this week is asking you to strengthen your emotional boundaries, use you intuition well and focus on practical resolution. You may experience moments of over thinking and emotional conflicts. Working in high pressure environment may seem too rigid or harsh for you but actually it's your chance to upgrade your emotional intelligence. Choose facts over feeling when making decisions. Lucky colour: Silver, Pearl white Lucky Number: 2,6,20 Lucky Day: Friday Weekly Affirmation: 'I attract harmony and align with supportive people.'This week brings a divine collaboration between Jupiter (your ruling planet) and Saturn (vibration of this week). While you love freedom and optimism, this week asks you to discipline your creativity, ground your ideas and take action with structure. Your creative fire is powerful, but it needs a strong container. Saturn will provide that if you accept its rules. This is the week to turn your ideas into action and your dreams into deadlines. You may feel mentally restricted and emotionally boxed this week. Take this as challenge, stay positive and expressive within boundaries. Channelize the pressure into productivity. It's a great time for launching online contents, building Strategy or pitching a new project. If your partner is feeling heavy or distant, don't try to 'cheer them up' superficially. Instead communicate, when they possess emotional maturity. Singles may attract someone mature who respects your ambition and intellect. Be clear about your needs. Lucky Colour: Gold and Yellow Lucky Number: 3,6,9 Lucky Day: Thursday Weekly Affirmation: 'I offer love with joy and i receive love with truth.' This is going to be most aligned and harmonious week of the year for number 4 people. Both 4 and 8 vibrate with structure, order, discipline, responsibility and result. This week is a golden chance to reclaim your power, lay solid foundations and complete unfinished projects. You are entering in a zone of deep mental clarity, ideas that are floating around in your mind may finally start taking shape as practical plans. You'll crave solitude - not to isolate, but to focus. Great week to solve long-standing problems logically. You may feel less emotional but more determined this week. Strategic decisions at work will be rewarded. Take initiatives, you will naturally step into a leadership position formally or informally. In relationship, communicate your need for space and focus this week. Singles may attract someone older and wiser. Lucky Colour: Charcoal grey, Black Lucky Number: 4, 8, 22 Lucky Day: Saturday Weekly Affirmation: 'I honour both love and purpose in balanced way.' This is a week of stretch between free spirited, adventurous essence and strict, no nonsense Saturn energy. It's not a clash but a sacred collaboration. When both energies are honoured, you can achieve massive result. This is your chance to prove that freedom and responsibility can co-exist. Structured freedom will be your superpower this week. According to the weekly numerology horoscope, you may feel push-pull dynamic in your thought. One part of you wants to explore and move fast and other part wants you to slow down, commit and plan. Use tools like to-do list and schedule work with mindfulness to stay productive this week. Work towards your professional strategies. Mercury will give you great ides, while Saturn will ask you to test them. Don't jump from project to project-pick one and perfect it. It's an excellent time to negotiate, close deals and also avoid impulsive changes. Focus on long term gains, not quick hits In relationship, arguments may arise if you resist responsibility plan something meaningful instead of spontaneous. Singles, avoid ghosting or escapist behaviour. Lucky Colour: Emerald green Lucky Number: 5,14, 23 Lucky Day: WednesdayWeekly Affirmation: 'I welcome change and trust the flow of life.' This week is a cosmic partnership between grace and grit. Venus radiates beauty, comfort and connection while Saturn deals with accountability, legacy and discipline. Although their energies are different but they bring mature love and soulful responsibility, when together. This week will push you to refine your emotional world and bring long-term value to your relationship. This week may feel more serious than usual-less about Indulgence, more about introspection. Your emotional Intelligence will shine if you allow space for silence. Avoid emotionally rescuing others at the cost of your own well-being. Stop undervaluing your services. If you're in beauty, fashion, art, healing or designing activities this week can boost your credibility. Make wise decisions for property, finance and business. In relationship, deep conversation will arise-don't avoid them. Strengthen long term vision and discuss about goals. For singles, you may attract someone older, mature and serious minded people. Lucky Colour: Pink, cream Lucky Number: 6,15,24 Lucky Day:Friday Weekly Affirmation: 'I give love and receive love in return.' This is the week of duality for you. A contrast between your natural inclination to introspect and connect spiritually and demanding energy of week 8. You may feel little overwhelmed early in this week by the noise and responsibility around you. By mid of the week, natural rhythm will come back calmer, deeper and more focused. Protect your mental energy, journal more and speak less. Great week for researches, healers, counsellors, writers and spiritual in Financial matter may happen. In relationship, you will crave emotional depth not casual flings. Avoid partner who demand too much attention or fast answer. For singles, a spiritually aligned partner or mentor may appear or re-enter your life. Lucky Colour: White or Light purple Lucky Number:7,16,25 Lucky Day: Monday Weekly Affirmation: 'I honour silence and seek deeper understanding.'This is going to be a blessed week for you. Both birth number and universal week's numbers are perfectly aligned together. This Brings power, focus and karmic clarity. Saturn does't give easily, it tests before it rewards. This is your week to show who you really are, responsible, strategic and unstoppable when focused. You will be either laser-focused or heavily burdened, depending on how well you've planned your week. You can make major decision in carrier and finances. Promotions, power roles offers may emerge, but only if you've done the ground work. It's time to revisit pending documents, debts or legal obligations. Emotional conflicts may rise but everything will be alright if you open up slowly and honestly. Discuss about finances, boundaries and goals with your partner. Avoid ego conflicts and overworking without rest. Lucky Colour: Navy Blue, Indigo Lucky Number: 8, 17,26 Lucky Day: Saturday Weekly Affirmation: 'I am capable, confident and ready to succeed.' The planet of fire and action meets the planet of karma and patience. This week is all about channeling your intensity into purpose. You may feel emotionally intense or irritable this week. Allow yourself to release what doesn't align. Stay grounded, avoid jumping to conclusion in anger. You are a natural leader but this is the time to lead with emotional wisdom. Some responsibilities may feel unfair but carry them with grace. If working in NGO's, law, counselling, art or military/police, big breakthroughs are possible. A past finance matter may reach a turning point this week. Be honest rather than just being romantic in a relationship. It's a week for soul connection and emotional accountability. Unresolved love stories may try to re-enter in life. Singles may attract someone karmic, older or emotionally matured. Let go of resentment and help someone without expectation. Lucky Colour: Maroon, Deep red Lucky Number: 9,18,27 Lucky Day: Tuesday Weekly Affirmation: 'I love with truth, I release with grace.' Weekly Key Takeaway: This week (June 23 – June 29, 2025), encourages emotional detox, letting go of past baggage, and embracing inner peace. Reflect, reset, and realign your goals for a more meaningful second half.____________________________________________________________________________ This weekly numerology prediction has been curated by expert numerologists at Disclaimer Statement: This content is authored by a 3rd party. The views expressed here are that of the respective authors/ entities and do not represent the views of Economic Times (ET). ET does not guarantee, vouch for or endorse any of its contents nor is responsible for them in any manner whatsoever. Please take all steps necessary to ascertain that any information and content provided is correct, updated, and verified. ET hereby disclaims any and all warranties, express or implied, relating to the report and any content therein.
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Titan's Atmosphere 'Wobbles Like a Gyroscope' – And No One Knows Why
There's something very peculiar about the atmosphere surrounding Titan, Saturn's largest moon: rather than staying constantly fixed in line with its surface, the atmosphere wobbles across the course of the seasons. The discovery was made in new research led by a team from the University of Bristol in the UK, through a detailed analysis of 13 years' worth of infrared light readings. Gas composition and temperature can be interpreted from these readings, and from there the shifting position of the atmosphere. It's not clear yet what's causing the unusual behavior, but it could eventually lead to more insights about the history of Titan, and other planetary bodies that share similarities with it. That includes Earth, since both have a relatively thick atmosphere, liquid lakes, and weather patterns. "The behavior of Titan's atmospheric tilt is very strange," says planetary scientist Lucy Wright, from the University of Bristol. "Titan's atmosphere appears to be acting like a gyroscope, stabilizing itself in space." "Even more intriguingly, we've found that the size of this tilt changes with Titan's seasons." That seasonal shift suggests the tilt might have something to do with the moon's yearly cycle around the Sun, in tandem with Saturn. A year on Titan lasts almost 30 years on Earth, and comes with major changes in heating and temperature. However, while the magnitude of the atmospheric tilt changes, the direction it's pointing doesn't: it always remains directed towards the same fixed spot. Working out why is going to take some time and further research. "What's puzzling is how the tilt direction remains fixed in space, rather than being influenced by the Sun or Saturn," says planetary scientist Nick Teanby, from the University of Bristol. "That would've given us clues to the cause. Instead, we've got a new mystery on our hands." One hypothesis the team is considering is that there was a large impact event in Titan's past which caused the atmospheric wobbles to begin, bringing changes in the moon's climate along with them. This research has a very real practical and immediate use: the Dragonfly spacecraft is scheduled to pay a visit to Titan in 2034. Getting the probe to land successfully in the swirling winds of the Saturnian moon will need a precise understanding of its atmosphere. Once Dragonfly is in place, we can expect plenty more in the way of fascinating discoveries. The team behind this new study describes Titan as "one of the most intriguing bodies in the Solar System" because of its characteristics – including being the only moon in the Solar System to have a proper atmosphere. Titan could even enhance our understanding of how life might get started and survive on alien worlds, under the influence of an atmosphere like Titan's – something that future studies could investigate. "The fact that Titan's atmosphere behaves like a spinning top disconnected from its surface raises fascinating questions – not just for Titan, but for understanding atmospheric physics more broadly, including on Earth," says planetary scientist Conor Nixon, from the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland. The research has been published in the Planetary Science Journal. A 'Crazy Idea' About Pluto Was Just Confirmed in a Scientific First A Giant Mouth Has Opened on The Sun And Even It Looks Surprised A Super-Tiny Star Gave Birth to a Giant Planet And We Don't Know How
Scientific American
22-05-2025
- Science
- Scientific American
How One Astronomer Helped to Discover Nearly 200 Moons of Saturn
A mere decade ago, astronomers knew of just 62 moons around Saturn. Today the ringed planet boasts a staggering 274 official satellites. That's more than any other world in the solar system—and far too many for most people to keep track of. Astronomer Edward Ashton is no exception, even though he has helped to discover 192 of them—he thinks that's the total, anyway, after pausing to do some mental math. Ashton is now a postdoctoral fellow at the Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics in Taiwan. He fell into hunting for Saturn's moons in 2018, when his then academic adviser suggested the project for his Ph.D. at the University of British Columbia. It has been a fruitful search. Most recently, in March, Ashton and his colleagues announced a batch of 128 newfound Saturnian satellites. Scientific American spoke with Ashton about the science of discovering so many relatively tiny moons—most of them just a few kilometers wide—using vast amounts of data gathered by the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope (CFHT), located in Hawaii. On supporting science journalism If you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today. [ An edited transcript of the interview follows.] How have you found these moons? To detect the moons, we use a technique known as shifting and stacking. We take 44 sequential images of the same patch of sky over a three-hour period because, in that time frame, the moons move relative to the stars at a rate similar to Saturn. If we just stack the images normally, then the moon appears as a streak across the images, and that dilutes the signal of the moon. So what we do is: we shift the images relative to one another at multiple different rates near that of Saturn, and then we basically blink between the different shift rates. If the shift rate is not quite at the rate of the moon, then it's going to be slightly elongated. As you get closer to the rate of the moon, then it slowly combines into a dot. And then, as you get faster than the moon's rate, it expands again. So basically, we look at the images and then quickly blink through the different rates, and you can see the moon coalescing. That's for a single night. But just seeing an object moving at a Saturn-like rate near Saturn doesn't guarantee that it is a moon. It's highly likely that the object is a moon, but that hasn't been confirmed. So what we need to do is track the objects to show that they are in orbit around the planet. To do that, we repeat the [shift and stack] process multiple times over many months and years. Why did this happen now? Did you need new techniques and observatories to do this work? The technique and the technology have been there for a while—the same technique has been used to find moons of Neptune and Uranus. But the sky area around those planets where moons can exist is a lot smaller, so it takes less time to search through the data. One of the reasons why this hadn't been done for Saturn is because it's very time-consuming. Why do those other planets have less space where moons could be than Saturn does? Those planets are less massive, so the stable orbits that moons can have are smaller. I had been wondering if this technique works for other planets, and clearly the answer is yes. But do you think there are other moons that have yet to be found around Saturn or other planets with the method? We did find moon candidates around Saturn that we weren't able to track long enough to be able to confirm them. So if you redo this technique again, you will be able to find more moons around Saturn, but this is a case of diminishing returns. If you use a larger telescope [than the CFHT], then you'd be able to see fainter moons, so you'd be able to find more. At the moment, if you use the same technique for Jupiter, you will be able to find fainter moons. The problem is: the amount of sky that moons of Jupiter can occupy is significantly larger than [the amount of sky that can be occupied by moons of] Saturn, so the method is even more time-consuming for Jupiter. And Jupiter is much brighter than Saturn and the other planets, so there's a lot of scattered light that makes it harder to see the moons. So it's even harder to find satellites around Jupiter, and as you mentioned, other groups have already done this work for Uranus and Neptune. Does that mean we're sort of 'maxed out' on moons until we have better observations? Yeah, you probably have to wait until better technology comes along. Is there something being built or planned right now that could be that 'better technology'? There currently are telescopes that can see deeper [than the CFHT], such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The problem is: JWST's field of view is very small, so you have to do quite a few observations to be able to cover the required area. But there is a telescope that's set to launch pretty soon, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope, that has quite a large field of view. So that'll be a good telescope to use for hunting more moons. What do we know about these new moons? You basically can only get the moons' orbits and approximate sizes. But if you look at the distribution of the orbits, you can understand a bit more about the history of the system. Moons that are sort of clumped together in orbital space are most likely the result of a collision, so you can see what moons come from the same parent object. Is seeing so many moons around Saturn unusual? What's unusual is how many there are. It appears that the planets have more or less equal numbers of the larger moons. But when you get down to the smaller ones that we're discovering, Saturn seems to shoot up in terms of the numbers. So that's quite interesting. This could just be because there was a recent collision within the Saturnian system that produced a large number of fragments. Do you get to name them all? Do you have to name them all? I guess I don't have to. Some of these new moons, they've been linked back to observations by a different group from more than 10 years ago. That's maybe 20 to 30 of them. For the rest, we get full discovery credit, which, I think, means we get the right to name them. But they can't be named just yet; first, they're just given a number when they have a high-precision orbit, and I'm not sure how long that's going to take. Do you have more moon-hunting observations to analyze? No, I'm taking a little break from moons! I've got other projects to work on, relating to trans-Neptunian objects. They're quite far away. They're hard to see. There are some mysteries about them at the moment. It's interesting to understand their structure and how it relates to planet formation.
