By Kat Troche, NASA Night Sky Network,
Eric Sims, Stellar Vista Observatory

Did you know there are more than 200 moons in our Solar System? Most of them orbit Jupiter and Saturn. Both Jupiter and Saturn are visible this September, along with several of their moons. Saturn rises around 9pm, and Jupiter rises around midnight. Come to Stellar Vista Observatory’s (SVO) next star party (details below) to see Saturn for yourself!

As of August 2024, the ringed planet Saturn has 146 identified moons in its orbit. The moons range in size; the smallest being a few hundred feet across, to Titan, the second largest moon in our solar system. Titan can be spotted next to Saturn with a 6-inch telescope, and it was briefly explored in 2005 with the Huygens probe as part of the Cassini-Huygens mission. NASA’s mission Dragonfly is set to explore the surface of Titan in the 2030s.

Saturn’s moon Enceladus was also explored by the Cassini mission, revealing plumes of ice that erupt from below the surface, adding to the brilliance of Saturn’s rings. Much like our own Moon, Enceladus remains tidally locked with Saturn, presenting the same side towards its host planet at all times.

Jupiter has 95 moons, four of which can be seen with a small pair of binoculars or a small telescope. The moons – Ganymede, Callisto, Io, and Europa – form a straight line. They were first discovered by Galileo Galilei in 1610, and they continue to amaze stargazers around the globe. 

Ganymede: Largest moon in our solar system, and larger than the planet Mercury! It has its own magnetic field and a possible saltwater ocean beneath the surface.

Callisto: This heavily cratered moon is the third largest in our solar system. Although Callisto is the furthest away of the Galilean moons, it only takes 17 days to complete an orbit around Jupiter.

Io: The closest moon to Jupiter and the most volcanically active body in our solar system! The volcanic activity of this rocky world is so intense that it can be seen from some of the largest telescopes here on Earth.

Europa: Jupiter’s smallest moon also happens to be the strongest candidate for a liquid ocean beneath the surface. NASA’s Europa Clipper is set to launch October 2024 and will determine if this moon has conditions suitable to support life.

SVO has two public star parties scheduled in September: On Friday, 9/13, at 7pm we will celebrate International Observe the Moon Night at the Kanab City Library. On Friday, 9/20, at 8:30pm, join us on the observation deck at Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park to see Saturn, Scorpius, the Butterfly and Ptolemy clusters, and more.