Scientists note about 891 natural satellites in the solar system

1 min read

Throughout most of human history only Earth's Moon was known until Galileo used the first telescope on January 7, 1610, to reveal several of Jupiter's larger moons. Since then astronomers have identified more than 800 natural satellites, and the article notes roughly 891 measurable satellites in the solar system today. Earth's moon is unusually large compared with its planet at about 27% the size of Earth, while most other moons are small relative to their planets. No moons have yet been confirmed outside the solar system, a gap that frames future observational efforts.

The solar system contains about 891 known natural satellites.