Monday, May 5, 2014

Which planet has the most moons?

It is a really big universe that we live in, and there are a lot of planets that are out there.  It is possible that there is a planet out there that exists that has more moons than any other known planet.  For this particular question, I will assume that the question is asking about planets that are in Earth's own solar system.  
The answer to this question is not straightforward either.  Different sources state a different number of moons for various planets.  Windows2universe.org says that Jupiter has the most moons.  This particular source says that Jupiter has 67 moons.  This source is a credible source.  The website was started in 1995 with support from NASA. However, NASA's website states a different number of moons for Jupiter.  
According to NASA's website, both Jupiter and Saturn have 53 moons.  This means that there is a tie between Jupiter and Saturn for the planet with the most moons.  If you need a tie breaker, then the number of moons that are "awaiting official confirmation" would give Jupiter the title of the planet with the most moons.  Jupiter has 16 moons awaiting official confirmation, and Saturn has only 8 moons awaiting official confirmation.  If all of those moons are confirmed, then Jupiter will have 69 moons.  Saturn would have 61. 
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/our-solar-system/overview/

https://spaceplace.nasa.gov/how-many-moons/en/

https://www.windows2universe.org/about_windows.html

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