The Hawaii Irregular Satellites Survey has as its main objective the exploration and characterization of the irregular satellites of the planets. HISS has discovered 63 of the 97 known irregular satellites, all within the last few years.

The irregular satellites of the planets are thought to have been captured from independent orbits around the Sun. Their scientific significance lies in the fact that such captures are effectively impossible in the modern-day Solar System and, therefore, must have occured at a much earlier time. Study of the irregular satellites therefore constitutes a window on an early epoch.

A popular-level overview of this hot subject is linked here (400k PDF file).

A slightly more technical review is linked here (800k PDF file).