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Comment and Space

The solar system has too many moons – it's time for a cull

Designating rocks just a few kilometres across as moons is misleading and ridiculous. We need to do a Pluto and cut moons down to size, argues Leah Crane

By Leah Crane

23 October 2019

91av. Science news and long reads from expert journalists, covering developments in science, technology, health and the environment on the website and the magazine.

Josie Ford

OK, WHAT I’m about to say may cause some distress. You remember how it was with Pluto? In 2006, the International Astronomical Union (IAU) voted to downgrade the much-loved ninth planet to a mere dwarf planet. More than a decade later, it seems some people still haven’t gotten over it. But I’m still going to say it: things are getting a little out of hand with the solar system’s moons.

On 7 October, astronomers announced the discovery of 20 moons around Saturn. This took the total number of moons in the solar system to 214. The thing is,…

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