# 12 New Moons for Saturn
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-new-moons-for-saturn/302946
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [May 8, 2005, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-new-moons-for-saturn/302946 "2005-05-08T19:41:43Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Tuckerfan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tuckerfan)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2005, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-new-moons-for-saturn/302946/1 "2005-05-08T19:41:43Z")
[So how’s come ours isn’t breeding like rabbits?](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/4511715.stm)
> [@](#):
>
> Astronomers have discovered 12 new moons orbiting Saturn, bringing its number of natural satellites to 46.
>
> The moons are small, irregular bodies - probably only about 3-7km in size - that are far from Saturn and take about two years to complete one orbit.
>
> All but one circles Saturn in the opposite direction to its larger moons - a characteristic of captured bodies.
>
> Jupiter is the planet with the most moons, 63 at the last count. Saturn now has 46. Uranus has 27 and Neptune 13.
>
> The latest ones were found last year using the Subaru telescope in Hawaii. Confirmation observations were made last month using the Gemini North telescope also situated in Hawaii.
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### Author:  [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2005, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-new-moons-for-saturn/302946/2 "2005-05-08T21:11:39Z")
Sorry 'bout that. I had 'em hidden in my closet as a practical joke and forgot to put 'em back for the longest time.
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### Author:  [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-new-moons-for-saturn/302946/3 "2005-05-08T21:12:19Z")
“Moon and moon, what is moon?”
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### Author:  [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2005, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-new-moons-for-saturn/302946/4 "2005-05-08T21:13:08Z")
Are they getting them in bulk now?
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### Author:  [@Hoodoo\_Ulove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoodoo_Ulove)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2005, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-new-moons-for-saturn/302946/5 "2005-05-08T21:22:40Z")
> [@Tuckerfan](#):
>
> So how come ours isn’t breeding like rabbits?
Uh, your parents should have explained that to you, Tuck.
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### Author:  [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)
#### Post date: [May 8, 2005, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/12-new-moons-for-saturn/302946/6 "2005-05-08T22:01:42Z")
Actually, if Luna and [Cruithne](http://burtleburtle.net/bob/physics/cruithne.html) ever came together, it would look like a sperm penetrating an egg…
Curse their wildly-different orbits that keep them eternally separate.