“When the Cassini mission launched back in 1997, we knew of only 18 moons orbiting Saturn,” according to Carl Murray.
“Now, between Earth-based telescopes and Cassini we have more than tripled that number — and each and every new discovery adds another piece to the puzzle and becomes another new world to explore.”
The newest satellite of the Solar System’s second largest planet was spotted by astronomers led by Carl Murray of Queen Mary College at the University of London. It’s about two kilometers (1.2 miles) across and, like other Saturnian moons, appears to consist mainly of ice and rock.
To date, 48 moons of Saturn have been officially named.
In alphabetic order, they are: Aegir, Albiorix, Atlas, Bebhionn, Bergelmir, Bestla, Calypso, Daphnis, Dione, Enceladus, Epimetheus, Erriapo, Farbauti, Fenrir, Fornjot, Hati, Helene, Hyperion, Hyrokkin, Iapetus, Ijiraq, Janus, Kari, Kiviuq, Loge, Methone, Mimas, Mundilfari, Narvi, Paaliaq, Pallene, Pan, Pandora, Phoebe, Polydeuces, Prometheus, Rhea, Siarnaq, Skadi, Skoll, Surtur, Suttung, Tarvos, Telesto, Tethys, Thrym, Titan and Ymir.
And, now – there’s Frank.
Actually rather meaningless isn’t it? All the little steps towards ultimate knowledge?
Excellent! Here are some fine articles and photos of the “best of” Saturn’s moons (be sure to click the pix):
http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/saturn_moons.html
Yeah, right, Frank. The next discovered moon will be named “Bubba” 🙂
#1, Sorry bobbo, all those “meaningless little steps” are what make science work. This time, we’ll just have to agree to disagree. Your statement makes little sense. If you can’t get past 1+1=2, there’s no foundation for relativity theory and no hope of uniting quantum theory with relativity.
Astronomy and cosmology theory “little steps” bring us closer to understanding how the universe formed, how it will evolve and its ultimate fate. Of course, in just a few billion years, the Sun will have become a white dwarf, the Earth will be a cinder,the Milky Way will be colliding with M31 (the great galaxy in Andromeda) and no one will be here to care, unless we can take those “little steps” to migrate from this planet and continue those “little steps” elsewhere in the universe.
3–I know Bubba. I hesitate to post at all re Astronomy as I have no desire to diminish your enthusiasm. Did you read the second sentence before glazing out on me?
Sitting here with not much to do for another hour, I read an entry and try to post my first gut reaction. How does 30 more moons around Saturn add anything to my life or most peoples lives, or any lives at all? It doesn’t.
Still, that is how science marches on and while the number of moons around Saturn may in fact contribute little to nothing, the endeavor is the highest achievement of man. Long may science prosper. And I do like the pretty colors.
#4, bobbo,
How does 30 more moons around Saturn add anything to my life or most peoples lives, or any lives at all? It doesn’t.
I can’t get the vision out of my head of 30 college students all with their backs to me and their pants around their ankles. It wouldn’t add much to my life but it sure would be something to talk about for the next hour.
4. I was just thinking the same about macrophage migration inhibitory factors only the other day.
RBG
#5-Mr Fusion==too gay for me. You didn’t say they were all guys, but girls don’t go for such invitations.
Still, some show last night was talking about the metallic dusting on the tops of the mountains of Venus and I did find that vaguely interesting for some unidentifiable reason. Learning, even in a vacuum (yes, I know) is a good thing. Perhaps, its a subconscious gratification.
Fusion—can we make those moons all co-eds and find a few videos?
6—RBG–I have always been fascinated by the way the human body does not use direct mechanisms but rather regulates an inhibiter on a direct mechanism. Is this idea of mine totally wrong, or well accepted? There is a god like beauty/universal oneness in that concept.
Anyone know the minimum size requirement on the definition of “moon”? It almost sounds like every dust spec in the rings will eventually be named and cataloged as a moon.
#9, Scott, As of today, the smallest named moon in the sol system is Deimos (Mars), about seven miles in diameter. Some of the newest Jovian and Saturnian moons may be smaller, but data is sketchy on diameters of Pan and Telesto (Saturn), estimated to be about the same size or less. I don’t think we’re going to name anything smaller than 5km in diameter, but I can’t swear to that.
I want a house on Telesto, with a nice Star Trek shuttle capable of warp 8, some replicators and some of those Star Trek babes from Orion!
#4, bobbo, How does 30 more moons around Saturn add anything to my life or most peoples lives, or any lives at all? It doesn’t.
If we don’t look for new things, we won’t find new things. No exploration = stagnation. Who knows what the surfaces of these new moons can tell us about the formation of our sol system. Are there craters, volcanoes, water ices, organic traces or other mysteries? Are they captured comets from the primordial sol system formation? The discovery of new sol system bodies is always great news. Maybe it doesn’t affect your life today, but it might affect your grandkids or great-grandkids. Don’t dismiss achievements like this just because they don’t affect you directly, that’s extremely short-sighted.
Sure beats funding a war in the Middle East….
Little steps to ultimate knowledge?
The absolute biggest little step in math, took mankind thousands of years. (That, by the way, was the number ‘Zero.” Until the concept of Zero was defined math was going very slow. Unless you know nothing, math has problems.)
The wheel took forever. And some civilizations that had them, didn’t know it would help move them faster if they used them with an axle instead of tables.
Tiny little steps is what all life learning is about. Great advances are on the road traversed by millions of ideas, finally brought to fruit.
Taking a cue from the ‘Hitch Hikers Guide’…
The answer to ‘Life, the Universe and Everything’ is 42. The problem is not understanding the answer. It is understanding the question.
(Alas, philosophically speaking, I feel Andy Capp gave the greatest piece of understanding ever, when he said…
Never Under-estimate the power of human stupidity.
Until you think about it, it may not seem to bedeep thinking. But look what human stupidity has done in the last 2,000 years. (Religion is responsible for most of the damage, making at least 50% of it…
But, it is by no means alone in the stupidity race.)
Imagine what computers would be capable of, Microsoft hadn’t gotten in quite as soon as it did.
Hell, computer hardware may only have gotten 2 or 3 years ahead of software.
#8 – bobbbbbo
“…I have always been fascinated by the way the human body does not use direct mechanisms but rather regulates an inhibiter on a direct mechanism.”
I commend to you a cursory investigation of the nature of servocontrolled systems; familiarize yourself (if you are not already) with how indirect regulation of variable functions using feedback tremendously magnifies the precision and speed of response with which said regulation may be accomplished, as well as facilitating regulation by integrated functions as opposed to simple scalar values… The biological analogues of servomechanisms in vertebrate physiology is a fascinating thing to ponder. (Or not, as the case may be… as always, YMMV)
Find a moon in the shape of a square or flat like a coin…yaaawn…astronomy is so boring these days.
#13 – Lauren – normally your posts make sense, and I dont agree with them. This one however, was waaaaaayyyy out there and made NO sense at all… can you share some of those drugs you’re on?
Actually I think lauran was very clear. One of her better posts.
#15 – tallwookie
“Lauren – normally your posts make sense, and I dont agree with them.”
Hmm. The conjunction of those two statements says more about you than about me… Personally, I try to male it a practice to agree with sense and disagree with nonsense, but to each his own, I always say…
#16 – Johnson
“One of her better posts.”
Very kind, I’m sure – but I haven’t had the sex change surgery just yet.
#14, since you’re so bored (hope that WWF and NASCAR channel work out for you 🙂 ), just for your edification and enjoyment: