How Many Moons Does Saturn Have? 274 Confirmed Facts

Saturn’s moon count has exploded past Jupiter’s—not by a handful, but by nearly 200 satellites. The ringed planet now boasts 274 confirmed moons, a number that nearly triples Jupiter’s tally and cements Saturn’s status as the undisputed moon champion of our solar system.

Saturn’s Confirmed Moons: 274 · Most Moons in Solar System: Saturn · Jupiter’s Moons: 95 confirmed · Major Moons: Titan, Rhea, Enceladus · Planets with Zero Moons: Mercury, Venus

Does Saturn have the most moons?

Yes—and by a wide margin. Saturn currently holds the record with 274 confirmed moons, according to NASA Space Place. That number comes from an international team using the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, who discovered 128 new moons in 2023; the Minor Planet Center officially added them to Saturn’s tally on March 11, 2025, per Space.com.

Saturn vs Jupiter

Jupiter sits in second place with 95 confirmed moons. BBC Sky at Night Magazine reports that Saturn’s 274 moons nearly triple Jupiter’s count. Saturn’s moons range from tiny moonlets to Titan, which is larger than the planet Mercury, as documented by Wikipedia.

Provisional moon counts

Wikipedia lists Saturn at 292 moons as of March 2025, accounting for additional confirmations. The difference between 274 and 292 reflects moons that have been provisionally designated but are still awaiting final orbital confirmation from the International Astronomical Union.

How many moons does Jupiter have?

NASA reports Jupiter has 95 known moons, per NASA Space Place. While Saturn keeps adding to its count, Jupiter’s major moons—Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto—have been known since antiquity. Ganymede is the largest moon in the solar system, bigger than the planet Mercury.

Confirmed vs irregular moons

Of Jupiter’s 95 moons, most are irregular satellites captured by gravity rather than forming alongside the planet. Dereum Labs notes that older counts showed 53 confirmed and 26 provisional Jupiter moons, totaling 79.

Recent discoveries

BBC Sky at Night Magazine reports that Jupiter likely hosts far more small irregular moons—possibly around 600—that haven’t yet been confirmed. That estimate highlights how satellite counts depend heavily on observation technology.

How many moons does Uranus have?

Uranus has 28 known moons according to NASA Space Place. All 28 are named after characters from Shakespeare and Alexander Pope—Uranus breaks the astronomical naming convention in charming fashion.

Known satellites

Uranus’s moons are mostly composed of water ice and rock. The five largest—Miranda, Ariel, Umbriel, Titania, and Oberon—were discovered by William Herschel in 1787. Wikipedia notes these major moons have been studied by the Voyager 2 spacecraft.

Discovery history

While Saturn and Jupiter keep accumulating moons, Uranus discoveries have slowed. Dereum Labs notes some sources list Uranus at 27 moons instead of 28, reflecting minor classification differences.

How many moons does Neptune have?

Neptune has 16 confirmed moons, according to NASA Space Place. The planet’s largest moon, Triton, is unusual—it orbits in the opposite direction of Neptune’s rotation, suggesting it was captured rather than formed with the planet.

Confirmed moons

Neptune’s 16 moons place it below Uranus in the ranking. NASA Science notes that Triton alone accounts for nearly all of Neptune’s moon mass, with the remaining 15 being small, irregular bodies.

Irregular orbits

Most of Neptune’s smaller moons have highly elliptical, retrograde orbits characteristic of captured objects. These captured moons contrast sharply with Neptune’s regular moons, which orbit in the same direction as the planet’s rotation.

Which planets have 0 moons?

Two planets in our solar system have no moons at all: Mercury and Venus. NASA Space Place confirms zero moons for both. Scientists believe the reason is tied to their proximity to the Sun—gravitational forces and solar tides may have stripped away any moons that might have formed, or prevented them from forming in the first place.

Mercury and Venus

Mercury, the smallest planet, orbits closest to the Sun and experiences intense solar gravitational forces. Venus, despite being similar in size to Earth, has no moons—Earth’s single large moon being a notable contrast. NASA Science notes that astronomers have searched both planets thoroughly, and neither shows any evidence of natural satellites.

Why no moons

The solar system’s inner planets—Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars—have few or no moons compared to the outer giants. Mars has just two small moons (Phobos and Deimos), while Earth has one. Wikipedia documents that the difference stems from the solar wind and gravitational environment close to the Sun.

The table below summarizes moon counts across all planets, with Saturn maintaining its dominant lead.

“You thought Saturn’s 146 moons were impressive? Think again. The ringed planet’s moon count has nearly doubled.”

— Space.com (Science journalist)

“Saturn is the king of the moons in our Solar System, as it has more moons than any other planet.”

— BBC Sky at Night Magazine (Astronomy publication)

“Saturn has 274 moons in its orbit, more than any other planet.”

— NASA Science (Official NASA page)

Saturn’s moon dominance isn’t a fluke—it reflects the planet’s immense gravitational reach in the outer solar system. The 128 moons discovered in 2023 came from a single research team using the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope, demonstrating how new telescopes can rapidly expand our knowledge of Saturn’s entourage. For anyone tracking solar system records, Saturn’s lead is secure: Jupiter would need a discovery on the scale of Saturn’s 2023 haul just to narrow the gap.

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NASA confirms 274 moons orbiting Saturn today, though 285 confirmed as of 2026 pushes the total higher amid ongoing discoveries.

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