Prof. Sam LawlerOH yeah love ending my workday with a surprise National Geographic interview about the Saturn moons that I helped discover by accidentally pointing the CFHT telescope at Saturn. Definitely my most scientifically productive whoopsie ever.
128!!!! New!!! MOONS!!
Happy Moon Day!
https://minorplanetcenter.net/mpec/K25/K25EF3.html
Prof. Sam LawlerTo be very clear, I am really truly only involved in this discovery by accidentally pointing the telescope at Saturn when I was trying to look for TNOs. Edward Ashton, Brett Gladman, Mike Alexandersen, and Jean-Marc Petit did all the work!
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2503.07081
Prof. Sam LawlerSomeone already updated Wikipedia! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moons_of_Saturn
I love wikipedians.
Prof. Sam Lawlerhttps://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/saturn-new-moons-record
Prof. Sam Lawlerhttps://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-00781-1
Prof. Sam LawlerI've had like 3 co-workers text or email me about this interview this morning, so I guess I should share it. This is the one that I thought was for radio so I didn't even brush my hair. New rule for myself: always assume it's a video interview!
Came out pretty good though, overall I'm happy with it
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/video/9.6685144
Prof. Sam LawlerAmazingly talented fediverse astrophotographers: gorgeous, perfectly exposed and processed telescope images
Me, a professional astronomer: accidentally points a 4 meter telescope at Saturn for a series of 5 minute exposures