The Saturnian system (photographic montage)

Saturn has 60 confirmed natural satellites, plus three hypothetical moons. . JPL image PIA01482: Saturn System Montage This montage of images of the Saturnian system was prepared from an assemblage of images taken by the Voyager 1 spacecraft during its Saturn encounter in November 1980. ... JPL image PIA01482: Saturn System Montage This montage of images of the Saturnian system was prepared from an assemblage of images taken by the Voyager 1 spacecraft during its Saturn encounter in November 1980. ... Atmospheric characteristics Atmospheric pressure 140 kPa Hydrogen >93% Helium >5% Methane 0. ... A natural satellite is an object that orbits a planet or other body larger than itself and which is not man-made. ... Hypothetical astronomical objects are celestial bodies which some believe to exist. ...

Introduction

Saturn's rings cut across a scene that is ruled by Titan's luminous crescent and globe-encircling haze, broken by the small moon Enceladus, whose icy jets are dimly visible at its south pole. North is up.

Saturn is currently thought to have sixty-three moons, many of which were discovered very recently, including three particularly un-confirmed, hypothetical moons. However, a precise number of moons can never be given, as there is no objective dividing line between the anonymous orbiting fragments that form Saturn's ring system and the larger objects that have already been named as moons. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (890x524, 13 KB) Other versions http://photojournal. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (890x524, 13 KB) Other versions http://photojournal. ... Hypothetical astronomical objects are celestial bodies which some believe to exist. ...

Before the advent of telescopic photography, eight moons of Saturn were discovered by direct observation using an optical telescope: This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

• Titan, discovered in 1655 by Christiaan Huygens;
• Tethys, Dione, Rhea and Iapetus (the "Sidera Lodoicea") discovered 1671-1684 by Giovanni Domenico Cassini;
• Mimas and Enceladus, discovered 1789 by William Herschel;
• Hyperion, discovered 1848 by W.C. Bond, G.P. Bond and Lassell.
• The spurious satellite Chiron, "discovered" in 1861, is now known not to exist.

The use of long-exposure photographic plates made it possible to discover additional moons: Titan (, from Ancient Greek Τῑτάν) or Saturn VI is the largest moon of Saturn and the only moon known to have a dense atmosphere. ... Christiaan Huygens (pronounced in English (IPA): ; in Dutch: ) (April 14, 1629 – July 8, 1695), was a Dutch mathematician, astronomer and physicist; born in The Hague as the son of Constantijn Huygens. ... Atmosphere none Tethys (tee-thəs or teth-əs, IPA , Greek Τηθύς) is a moon of Saturn that was discovered by Giovanni Domenico Cassini in 1684. ... Atmosphere none Dione (dye-oe-nee, Greek Διώνη) is a moon of Saturn discovered by Giovanni Cassini in 1684. ... Atmosphere none Rhea (ree-a, Greek ‘Ρέα) is the second largest moon of Saturn and was discovered in 1672 by Giovanni Domenico Cassini. ... Iapetus (eye-ap-ə-təs, IPA , Greek Ιαπετός) is the third-largest moon of Saturn, discovered by Giovanni Domenico Cassini in 1671. ... Cassini Sidera Lodoicea (IPA ˈsɪdərə ˌlɒdəʊˈɪʃə) is the name given by the astronomer Giovanni Domenico Cassini to the four moons of Saturn discovered by him in the years 1671, 1672, and 1684 and published in the Journal des sçavans in 1673 and 1686. ... Giovanni Domenico (Jean-Dominique) Cassini Portrait Giovanni Domenico Cassini (June 8, 1625–September 14, 1712) was an Italian astronomer, engineer, and astrologer. ... Mimas (mee-məs or mye-məs, IPA: , Greek Μίμᾱς, rarely Μίμανς) is a moon of Saturn that was discovered in 1789 by William Herschel. ... [5] Atmospheric characteristics Pressure trace, significant spatial variability [6], [7] Water vapour 91% [8] Carbon dioxide 3. ... William Herschel Sir Frederick William Herschel, FRS KH (15 November 1738-25 August 1822) was a German-born British astronomer and composer who became famous for discovering the planet Uranus. ... Hyperion (IPA: , Greek Ὑπερίων) is a moon of Saturn discovered by William Cranch Bond, George Phillips Bond and William Lassell in 1848. ... William Cranch Bond William Cranch Bond (September 9, 1789 – January 29, 1859) was an American astronomer, and the first director of Harvard College Observatory. ... George Phillips Bond (May 20, 1825 – February 17, 1865) was an American astronomer. ... William Lassell (June 18, 1799 – October 5, 1880) was a British astronomer, born in Bolton, Lancashire, England. ... Chiron is the name given to a supposed moon of Saturn sighted by Hermann Goldschmidt in 1861. ...

• Phoebe was the first satellite discovered by telescopic photograph in 1899 by W.H. Pickering.
• Themis, "discovered" in 1905, also was later proven not to exist.
• In 1966, the satellites Janus and Epimetheus were observed, but not confirmed, and it was not realized that there were two distinct moons sharing an orbit.

The study of the outer planets has since been revolutionized, first by the use of unmanned space probes, and then by advances in telescopy: For other meanings see Phoebe. ... William Henry Pickering (February 15, 1858 – January 17, 1938) was an American astronomer, brother of Edward Charles Pickering. ... On April 28, 1905, William H. Pickering, who had seven years earlier discovered Phoebe, announced the discovery of a tenth satellite of Saturn, which he promptly named Themis. ... Janus (jay-nus, Greek Ιανός) is a moon of Saturn. ... Epimetheus (ep-i-mee-thee-us, Greek Επιμηθεύς) is a moon of Saturn. ...

• From 1980, when the first of the Voyager space probes arrived at Saturn, to 1990, analysis of Voyager images revealed eight more moons in the inner Saturnian system. The last discovered was Pan.
• A survey starting in late 2000 found thirteen new moons orbiting Saturn at a great distance in orbits that suggest they are fragments of larger bodies captured by Saturn's gravitational pull (Nature vol. 412, pp. 163–166).
• The Cassini mission, which arrived at Saturn in the summer of 2004, discovered three small moons in the inner Saturnian system as well as three suspected but unconfirmed moons in the F Ring. This increased the total to thirty-seven moons, confirmed and unconfirmed.
• On November 16, 2004, Cassini scientists announced that the structure of Saturn's rings indicates the presence of several more moons orbiting within the rings, but only one, Daphnis, has been visually confirmed so far (its confirmation was announced on May 6, 2005).[1].
• On May 3, 2005, astronomers using the Mauna Kea Observatory announced the discovery of twelve more small outer moons [2] [3].
• On June 30, 2006, astronomers using the Subaru 8.2 m telescope announced the discovery of nine more small outer moons [4].
• On April 13, 2007, S/2007 S 1 was announced.
• On May 1, 2007, S/2007 S 2 and S/2007 S 3 were announced.
• On July 18, 2007, Anthe was announced.

Voyager Project redirects here. ... Atmosphere none Pan (pan, Greek Πάν) is a moon of Saturn, named after the god Pan. ... Cassini-Huygens is a joint NASA/ESA/ASI unmanned space mission intended to study Saturn and its moons. ... Close up view of Prometheus and the F Ring Categories: Astronomy stubs | Saturn ... November 16 is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar, with 45 days remaining. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The full set of rings, as photographed by the Cassini spacecraft on September 15, 2006 (brightness has been exaggerated in this image). ... Atmosphere none Daphnis (IPA: , Greek Δαφνίς) is an inner satellite of Saturn. ... is the 126th day of the year (127th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 123rd day of the year (124th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Observatories at Mauna Kea are an independent collection of the worlds premier astronomical research facilities, located on the summit of Mauna Kea on the Big Island of Hawaii, USA. The facilities are located in a 500-acre special land use zone known as the Astronomy Precinct, which... is the 181st day of the year (182nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays full 2006 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Subaru at sunset Subaru Telescope (In Japanese: すばる望遠鏡) is the 8. ... is the 103rd day of the year (104th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... S/2007 S 1 is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... S/2007 S 2 is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... S/2007 S 3 is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... is the 199th day of the year (200th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Anthe is a very small natural satellite of Saturn lying between the orbits of Mimas and Enceladus. ...

Table of known moons

The Saturnian moons are listed here by orbital period, from shortest to longest. Moons massive enough for their surfaces to have collapsed into a spheroid are highlighted in light purple. Titan, which is planetary in size, has darker highlighting. The irregular (captured) moons are indicated in grey: light grey for prograde satellites, darker grey for retrograde satellites. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... In mathematics, a spheroid is a quadric surface in three dimensions obtained by rotating an ellipse about one of its principal axes. ...

Order	Name (spheroidal moons in bold) (Pronunciation key)			Image	Diameter (km)	Semi-major axis (km)	Orbital period (d)	Inclination (°) (to Saturn's equator)	Position	Discovered
1	XVIII	Pan	ˈpæn		30 (35 × 35 × 23) [1]	133,584 [2]	+0.57505 [2]	0.001°	in Encke Division	1990
2	XXXV	Daphnis	ˈdæf.nɨs		6 − 8	136,505 [2]	+0.59408 [2]	≈ 0°	in Keeler Gap	2005
3	XV	Atlas	ˈæt.ləs		31 (46 × 38 × 19) [1]	137,670 [2]	+0.60169 [2]	0.003°	outer A Ring shepherd	1980
4	XVI	Prometheus	proˈmi.θi.əs		86 (119 × 87 × 61) [1]	139,380 [2]	+0.61299 [2]	0.008°	inner F Ring shepherd	1980
*		S/2004 S 6 [3]			~3−5	140,130 [2]	+0.61801 [2]		uncertain objects around the F-Ring	2004
*		S/2004 S 4 [4]			~3−5	~140,100 [5]	+0.619 [6]			2004
*		S/2004 S 3 [3]			~3−5	~140,300 [7]	~ +0.62			2004
5	XVII	Pandora	pænˈdɔr.ə		81 (103 × 80 × 64) [1]	141,720 [2]	+0.62850 [2]	0.050°	outer F Ring Shepherd	1980
6	XI	Epimetheus	ˌɛp.ɨˈmi.θi.əs		113 (135 × 108 × 105) [1]	151,422 [2]	+0.69433 [2]	0.335°	co-orbitals	1980
7	X	Janus	ˈdʒeɪ.nəs		179 (193 × 173 × 137) [1]	151,472 [2]	+0.69466 [2]	0.165°		1966
8	I	Mimas	ˈmaɪ.məs		397 (415 × 394 × 381) [8]	185,404 [9]	+0.942422 [10]	1.566°		1789
9	XXXII	Methone	mɨˈθoʊ.ni		3	194,440 [2]	+1.00957 [2]	0.007°		2004
10	XLIX	Anthe	ˈæn.θi		~2	197,700	1.03650	0.1°		2007
11	XXXIII	Pallene	pəˈli.ni		4	212,280 [2]	+1.15375 [2]	0.181°		2004
12	II	Enceladus	ɛnˈsɛl.ə.dəs		504 (513 × 503 × 497) [8]	237,950 [9]	+1.370218 [10]	0.010°	In the thick of E ring	1789
13	III	Tethys	ˈti.θɨs		1066 (1081 × 1062 × 1055) [8]	294,619 [9]	+1.887802 [10]	0.168°		1684
13a	XIII	Telesto	təˈlɛs.toʊ		24 (29 × 22 × 20) [1]			1.158°	leading Tethys trojan	1980
13b	XIV	Calypso	kəˈlɪp.soʊ		21 (30 × 23 × 14) [1]			1.473°	trailing Tethys trojan	1980
16	IV	Dione	daɪˈoʊ.ni		1123 (1128 × 1122 × 1121) [8]	377,396 [9]	+2.736915 [10]	0.002°		1684
16a	XII	Helene	ˈhɛl.ə.ni		33 (36 × 32 × 30)			0.212°	leading Dione trojan	1980
16b	XXXIV	Polydeuces	ˌpɒl.ɨˈdju.siz		3.5 [11]			0.177°	trailing Dione trojan	2004
19	V	Rhea	ˈri.ə		1529 (1535 × 1525 × 1526) [8]	527,108 [12]	+4.518212 [12]	0.327°		1672
20	VI	Titan	ˈtaɪ.tən		5151	1,221,930 [9]	+15.94542	1.634°		1655
21	VII	Hyperion	haɪˈpir.i.ən		292 (360 × 280 × 225)	1,481,010 [9]	+21.27661	0.568°		1848
22	VIII	Iapetus	aɪˈæp.ə.təs		1472 (1494 × 1498 × 1425) [8]	3,560,820	+79.3215 [6]	7.570°		1671
23	XXIV	Kiviuq	ˈkɪv.i.oʊk		~16	11 294 800 [12]	+448.16 [12]	49.087°	Inuit group	2000
24	XXII	Ijiraq	ˈi.jɨ.rɑk		~12	11 355 316 [12]	+451.77 [12]	50.212°		2000
25	IX	Phoebe	ˈfi.bi		220 (230 × 220 × 210)	12 869 700	−545.09[6][13]	173.047°	Norse group	1899
26	XX	Paaliaq	ˈpɑːl.i.ɑk		~22	15 103 400 [12]	+692.98 [12]	46.151°	Inuit group	2000
27	XXVII	Skathi	ˈskɑð.i		~8	15 672 500 [12]	−732.52 [10][13]	149.084°	Norse (Skathi) Group	2000
28	XXVI	Albiorix	ˌæl.biˈɔr.ɨks		~32	16 266 700 [12]	+774.58 [12]	38.042°	Gallic group	2000
29		S/2007 S 2	—		~6	16 560 000	−792.96	176.68°	Norse group	2007
30	XXXVII	Bebhionn	ˈbɛv.in		~6	17 153 520 [12]	+838.77 [12]	40.484°	Gallic group	2004
31	XXVIII	Erriapo	ˌɛr.iˈæp.oʊ		~10	17 236 900 [12]	+844.89 [12]	38.109°		2000
32	XLVII	Skoll	ˈskɔl, ˈskɝl		~6	17 473 800 [9]	−862.37 [12]	155.624°	Norse (Skathi) group	2006
33	XXIX	Siarnaq	ˈsi.ɑr.nək		~40	17 776 600 [12]	+884.88 [12]	45.798°	Inuit group	2000
34		S/2007 S 1	—		~7	17 910 600 [14]	+894.86 [12]	49.904°		2007
35		S/2004 S 13	—		~6	18 056 300 [12]	−905.85 [10][13]	167.379°	Norse group	2004
36		S/2006 S 4	—		~6	18 065 700 [9]	−906.56 [12]	172.666°		2006
37	XLIV	Hyrrokkin	?		~8	18 168 300 [9]	−914.29 [12]	153.272°	Norse (Skathi) group	2006
38		S/2006 S 6	—		~6	18 556 900 [9]	−943.78 [12]	162.861°	Norse group	2006
39	XXI	Tarvos	ˈtɑr.vəs		~15	18 562 800 [12]	+944.23 [12]	34.679°	Gallic group	2000
40	XXV	Mundilfari	ˌmʊn.dɨlˈfɛr.i		~7	18 725 800 [12]	−956.70 [10][13]	169.378°	Norse group	2000
41		S/2006 S 1	—		~6	18 930 200 [9]	−972.41 [12]	154.232°	Norse (Skathi) group	2006
42		S/2004 S 17	—		~4	19 099 200 [12]	−985.45 [10][13]	166.881°	Norse group	2004
43	XXXVIII	Bergelmir	ˈbɛr.gɨl.mɪr		~6	19 104 000 [12]	−985.83 [10][13]	157.384°	Norse (Skathi) group	2004
44	XXXI	Narvi	ˈnɑr.vi		~7	19 395 200 [12]	−1008.45 [10][13]	137.292°	Norse (Narvi) group	2003
45	XXIII	Suttungr	ˈsʊt.ʊŋ.ɚ		~7	19 579 000 [12]	−1022.82 [10][13]	174.321°	Norse group	2000
46	XLIII	Hati	ˈhɑ.ti		~6	19 709 300 [12]	−1033.05 [10][13]	163.131°		2004
47		S/2004 S 12	—		~5	19 905 900 [12]	−1048.54 [10][13]	164.042°		2004
48	XL	Farbauti	fɑrˈbaʊ.ti		~5	19 984 800 [12]	−1054.78 [10][13]	158.361°	Norse (Skathi) group	2004
49	XXX	Thrymr	ˈθrɪm.ɚ		~7	20 278 100 [12]	−1078.09 [10][13]	174.524°	Norse group	2000
50	XXXVI	Aegir	ˈɛg.ɚ		~6	20 482 900 [12]	−1094.46 [10][13]	167.425°		2004
51		S/2007 S 3	—		~5	20 518 500	~ −1100	177.22°		2007
52	XXXIX	Bestla	ˈbɛs.tlə		~7	20 570 000 [12]	−1101.45 [10][13]	147.395°	Norse (Narvi) group	2004
53		S/2004 S 7	—		~6	20 576 700 [12]	−1101.99 [10][13]	165.596°	Norse group	2004
54		S/2006 S 3	—		~6	21 076 300 [9]	−1142.37 [12]	150.817°	Norse (Skathi) group	2006
55	XLI	Fenrir	ˈfɛn.rɪr		~4	21 930 644 [12]	−1212.53 [10][13]	162.832°	Norse group	2004
56	XLVIII	Surtur	ˈsʊr.tɚ		~6	22 288 916 [9]	−1242.36 [12]	166.918°		2006
57	XLV	Kari	ˈkɑr.i		~7	22 321 200 [9]	−1245.06 [12]	148.384°	Norse (Skathi) group	2006
58	XIX	Ymir	ˈɪm.ɪr		~18	22 429 673 [12]	−1254.15 [10][13]	172.143°	Norse group	2000
59	XLVI	Loge	ˈloʊ.gi		~6	22 984 322 [9]	−1300.95 [12]	166.539°		2006
60	XLII	Fornjot	ˈfɔrn.jɔt		~6	24 504 879 [12]	−1432.16 [10][13]	167.886°		2004

This chart shows concisely the most common way in which the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is applied to represent the English language. ... This article describes the unit of angle. ... Atmosphere none Pan (pan, Greek Πάν) is a moon of Saturn, named after the god Pan. ... Image File history File links View of Saturns Small Inner Moon Pan, taken by the Cassini Spacecrafts Imaging Sub-system Narrow-Angle Camera on May 20, 2005. ... Atmosphere none Daphnis (IPA: , Greek Δαφνίς) is an inner satellite of Saturn. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Atmospheric pressure 0 kPa Atlas (at-lus, Greek Άτλας) is a moon of Saturn. ... Image File history File links View of Saturns Small Inner Moon Atlas, taken by the Cassini Spacecrafts Imaging Sub-system Narrow-Angle Camera on June 8, 2005. ... Prometheus (proe-mee-thee-us, Greek Προμηθέας) is a moon of Saturn. ... Prometheus, Saturns moon. ... S/2004 S 6 is the provisional designation of a natural satellite of Saturn that was discovered in 2004 (on October 28 images) by the Cassini probe team, led by Carolyn C. Porco et al. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... S/2004 S 4 is the designation of an unconfirmed moon of Saturn announced by the Cassini Imaging Team on September 9, 2004. ... S/2004 S 3 is the provisional designation of an unconfirmed moon of Saturn. ... Image File history File links S/2004 S 3, a moon of Saturn. ... Pandora (pan-dor-a, Greek Πανδώρα) is a moon of Saturn. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Epimetheus (ep-i-mee-thee-us, Greek Επιμηθεύς) is a moon of Saturn. ... Image File history File links Epimetheus, a moon of Saturn, photographed by the Cassini orbiter, 2005 File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Janus (jay-nus, Greek Ιανός) is a moon of Saturn. ... Janus, Saturns moon. ... Mimas (mee-mÉ™s or mye-mÉ™s, IPA: , Greek Μίμᾱς, rarely Μίμανς) is a moon of Saturn that was discovered in 1789 by William Herschel. ... Image File history File links Mimas, Saturns moon. ... Discovery image of Methone Methone (me-thoe-nee, Greek Μεθωνη) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Discovery image of S/2004 S 1, a satellite of Saturn Taken by the Cassini-Huygens probe on June 1, 2004, from a distance of 16 Gm. ... Anthe is a very small natural satellite of Saturn lying between the orbits of Mimas and Enceladus. ... Discovery image of Pallene Pallene (pa-lee-nee, Greek Παλλήνη) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Discovery image of S/2004 S 2, a satellite of Saturn Image taken by the Cassini-Huygens probe on June 1, 2004 from 16 Gm. ... [5] Atmospheric characteristics Pressure trace, significant spatial variability [6], [7] Water vapour 91% [8] Carbon dioxide 3. ... Download high resolution version (1004x1004, 93 KB) Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Atmosphere none Tethys (tee-thÉ™s or teth-É™s, IPA , Greek Τηθύς) is a moon of Saturn that was discovered by Giovanni Domenico Cassini in 1684. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1000x1000, 67 KB) Thethys (satellite of Saturn) imaged by the Cassini spacecraft. ... Atmosphere none Telesto IPA: , Greek Τελεστώ) is a moon of Saturn. ... Image File history File links Telesto_cassini_closeup. ... Atmosphere none Calypso (ka-lip-soe, Greek Καλυψώ) is a moon of Saturn. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Atmosphere none Dione (dye-oe-nee, Greek Διώνη) is a moon of Saturn discovered by Giovanni Cassini in 1684. ... Download high resolution version (756x744, 35 KB)This picture of Dione was take by Voyager 1 from a range of 162,000 kilometers (100,600 miles) on November 12, 1980. ... Helene (hel-e-nee, Greek ‘Ελένη) is a moon of Saturn. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Saturns moon Polydeuces Atmosphere none Polydeuces (pol-ee-dew-seez, IPA: , Greek Πολυδεύκης) is a very small natural satellite of Saturn that is co-orbital with Dione and librates around the trailing Lagrangian point (L5). ... Image File history File links Polydeuces. ... Atmosphere none Rhea (ree-a, Greek ‘Ρέα) is the second largest moon of Saturn and was discovered in 1672 by Giovanni Domenico Cassini. ... Illustration for Rhea (moon) NASA image from Voyager 1 montage at http://grin. ... Titan (, from Ancient Greek Τῑτάν) or Saturn VI is the largest moon of Saturn and the only moon known to have a dense atmosphere. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Titan_in_natural_color_Cassini. ... Hyperion (IPA: , Greek Ὑπερίων) is a moon of Saturn discovered by William Cranch Bond, George Phillips Bond and William Lassell in 1848. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 540 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (1800 × 2000 pixel, file size: 742 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Approximately true color mosaic of Saturns moon Hyperion. ... Iapetus (eye-ap-É™-tÉ™s, IPA , Greek Ιαπετός) is the third-largest moon of Saturn, discovered by Giovanni Domenico Cassini in 1671. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Size of this preview: 600 × 600 pixel Image in higher resolution (650 × 650 pixel, file size: 218 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Natural color view of Iapetus taken on November 11, 2005 by Cassinis narrow-angle camera. ... Kiviuq (kee-vee-oek or kiv-ee-uk) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... The Inuit group is made up of moons of Saturn which share similar orbits. ... Ijiraq (ee-ye-raak or ee-ji-raak) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... For other meanings see Phoebe. ... Download high resolution version (565x823, 63 KB)Phoebe, as imaged by the Cassini probe on June 11, 2004 JPL image reference: PIA06064. ... The Norse group is a large group of moons of Saturn which share similar orbits. ... Paaliaq (paw-lee-aak) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Skathi (skaadh-ee, with a voiced th as in this) (Saturn XXVII) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Albiorix (al-bee-or-iks) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... The Gallic group is made up of moons of Saturn which share similar orbits. ... S/2007 S 2 is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Bebhionn, or Saturn XXXVII (provisional designation S/2004 S 11) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Erriapo (air-ee-ap-oe?, Latin Erriapō or Erriappō) (Saturn XXVIII) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Skoll, or Saturn XLVII (provisional designation S/2006 S 8) is a retrograde irregular satellite of Saturn. ... Siarnaq (see-ar-naak) (Saturn XXIX) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... S/2007 S 1 is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... S/2004 S 13 is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... S/2006 S 4 is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Hyrrokkin, or Saturn XLIV (provisional designation S/2004 S 19) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... S/2006 S 6 is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Tarvos (tar-vus) (Saturn XXI) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Mundilfari (moon-dil-fair-ee, Norse Mundilfäri) (Saturn XXV) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... S/2006 S 1 is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... S/2004 S 17 is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Bergelmir, or Saturn XXXVIII (provisional designation S/2004 S 15) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Narvi (nar-vee) (Saturn XXXI) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Suttungr (soot-oong-ur) (Saturn XXIII) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Hati, or Saturn XLIII (provisional designation S/2004 S 14) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... S/2004 S 12 is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Farbauti, or Saturn XL (provisional designation S/2004 S 9) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Thrymr (THRIM er) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Aegir (IPA: ), or Saturn XXXVI (provisional designation S/2004 S 10) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... S/2007 S 3 is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Bestla, or Saturn XXXIX (provisional designation S/2004 S 18) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... S/2004 S 7 is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... S/2006 S 3 is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Fenrir, or Saturn XLI (provisional designation S/2004 S 16) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Surtur, or Saturn XLVIII (provisional designation S/2006 S 7) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Kari, or Saturn XLV (provisional designation S/2006 S 2) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Ymir (ee-mur) (Saturn XIX) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Loge, or Saturn XLVI (provisional designation S/2006 S 5) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Fornjot (IPA: ), or Saturn XLII (provisional designation S/2004 S 8) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... S/2004 S 3 is the provisional designation of an unconfirmed moon of Saturn. ... This article is about retrograde motion. ...

Grouping the moons

Although the borders may be somewhat nebulous, Saturn's moons can be divided into eight groups.

Ring shepherds

Shepherd satellites are moons that orbit within, or just beyond, a planet's ring system. They have the effect of sculpting the rings: giving them sharp edges, and creating gaps between them. Saturn's shepherd moons are Pan, Daphnis, Atlas, Prometheus, Pandora, in addition to the unconfirmed moons S/2004 S 4, S/2004 S 6 and S/2004 S 3. A planetary ring is a ring of dust and other small particles orbiting around a planet in a flat disc-shaped region. ... A planetary ring is a ring of dust and other small particles orbiting around a planet in a flat disc-shaped region. ... Atmosphere none Pan (pan, Greek Πάν) is a moon of Saturn, named after the god Pan. ... Atmosphere none Daphnis (IPA: , Greek Δαφνίς) is an inner satellite of Saturn. ... Atmospheric pressure 0 kPa Atlas (at-lus, Greek Άτλας) is a moon of Saturn. ... Prometheus (proe-mee-thee-us, Greek Προμηθέας) is a moon of Saturn. ... Pandora (pan-dor-a, Greek Πανδώρα) is a moon of Saturn. ... S/2004 S 4 is the designation of an unconfirmed moon of Saturn announced by the Cassini Imaging Team on September 9, 2004. ... S/2004 S 6 is the provisional designation of a natural satellite of Saturn that was discovered in 2004 (on October 28 images) by the Cassini probe team, led by Carolyn C. Porco et al. ... S/2004 S 3 is the provisional designation of an unconfirmed moon of Saturn. ...

Co-orbitals

Janus and Epimetheus are co-orbital moons. These two moons are of roughly equal size and have orbits with only a few kilometers difference in diameter, close enough that they would collide if they attempted to pass each other. Instead of colliding, however, their gravitational interaction causes them to swap orbits every four years. See Epimetheus' article for a more detailed explanation of this arrangement. Janus (jay-nus, Greek Ιανός) is a moon of Saturn. ... Epimetheus (ep-i-mee-thee-us, Greek Επιμηθεύς) is a moon of Saturn. ... Co-orbital moons are natural satellites that orbit at the same distance from their parent planet as another satellite, or at a similar distance. ... Epimetheus (ep-i-mee-thee-us, Greek Επιμηθεύς) is a moon of Saturn. ...

Inner large moons

The innermost large moons of Saturn orbit within its tenuous E Ring. They are Mimas, Enceladus, Tethys and Dione. E-Ring was a television military drama, created by Ken Robinson and David McKenna and executive produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, that premiered on NBC on September 21, 2005. ... Mimas (mee-məs or mye-məs, IPA: , Greek Μίμᾱς, rarely Μίμανς) is a moon of Saturn that was discovered in 1789 by William Herschel. ... [5] Atmospheric characteristics Pressure trace, significant spatial variability [6], [7] Water vapour 91% [8] Carbon dioxide 3. ... Atmosphere none Tethys (tee-thəs or teth-əs, IPA , Greek Τηθύς) is a moon of Saturn that was discovered by Giovanni Domenico Cassini in 1684. ... Atmosphere none Dione (dye-oe-nee, Greek Διώνη) is a moon of Saturn discovered by Giovanni Cassini in 1684. ...

Three recently discovered tiny moons also orbit within this group: Methone, Pallene and Anthe. So too do the co-orbital moons that form a group of their own (see below). Discovery image of Methone Methone (me-thoe-nee, Greek Μεθωνη) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Discovery image of Pallene Pallene (pa-lee-nee, Greek Παλλήνη) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Anthe is a very small natural satellite of Saturn lying between the orbits of Mimas and Enceladus. ...

Trojan moons

Main article: Trojan moon

Trojan moons are another kind of co-orbital. Like the other co-orbitals, they are a feature unique to the Saturnian system. They are moons that orbit at exactly the same distance from Saturn as another moon, but at such a distance from the other moon that they never collide. Tethys has two tiny co-orbitals Telesto and Calypso, and Dione also has two, Helene and Polydeuces. All four of these moons orbit in the larger moons' L₄ or L₅ Lagrangian points, one in each point. A Trojan moon is a natural satellite of a planet occupying the L4 or L5 equilateral Lagrangian points of a primary-moon system. ... Atmosphere none Telesto IPA: , Greek Τελεστώ) is a moon of Saturn. ... Atmosphere none Calypso (ka-lip-soe, Greek Καλυψώ) is a moon of Saturn. ... Helene (hel-e-nee, Greek ‘Ελένη) is a moon of Saturn. ... Saturns moon Polydeuces Atmosphere none Polydeuces (pol-ee-dew-seez, IPA: , Greek Πολυδεύκης) is a very small natural satellite of Saturn that is co-orbital with Dione and librates around the trailing Lagrangian point (L5). ... A contour plot of the effective potential (the Hills Surfaces) of a two-body system (the Sun and Earth here), showing the five Lagrange points. ...

Outer large moons

Saturn's largest moons all orbit beyond its E Ring and can thus be considered a distinct group. They are Rhea, Titan, Hyperion (which is relatively small and very irregular), and Iapetus. Atmosphere none Rhea (ree-a, Greek ‘Ρέα) is the second largest moon of Saturn and was discovered in 1672 by Giovanni Domenico Cassini. ... Titan (, from Ancient Greek Τῑτάν) or Saturn VI is the largest moon of Saturn and the only moon known to have a dense atmosphere. ... Hyperion (IPA: , Greek Ὑπερίων) is a moon of Saturn discovered by William Cranch Bond, George Phillips Bond and William Lassell in 1848. ... Iapetus (eye-ap-ə-təs, IPA , Greek Ιαπετός) is the third-largest moon of Saturn, discovered by Giovanni Domenico Cassini in 1671. ...

Irregular satellites

Irregular satellites of Saturn.

Irregular satellites are satellites with large-radius, inclined, and sometimes retrograde orbits, believed to have been acquired by the parent planet through a capture process. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... In astronomy, an irregular satellite is a natural satellite following a distant, inclined, often retrograde orbit and believed to be captured as opposed to a regular satellite, formed in situ. ... Direct motion is the motion of a planetary body in a direction similar to that of other bodies within its system, and is sometimes called prograde motion. ...

Inuit group

Main article: Saturn's Inuit group of satellites

The Inuit group are five prograde outer moons that are similar enough in their distances from Saturn and their orbital inclinations that they can be considered a group. They are Ijiraq, Kiviuq, Paaliaq, Siarnaq, and S/2007 S 1. The Inuit group is made up of moons of Saturn which share similar orbits. ... This article is about retrograde motion. ... Ijiraq (ee-ye-raak or ee-ji-raak) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Kiviuq (kee-vee-oek or kiv-ee-uk) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Paaliaq (paw-lee-aak) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Siarnaq (see-ar-naak) (Saturn XXIX) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... S/2007 S 1 is a natural satellite of Saturn. ...

Norse group

Main article: Saturn's Norse group of satellites

The Norse group are 29 retrograde outer moons that are similar enough in their distance from Saturn to be considered a group. They are Aegir, Bergelmir, Bestla, Farbauti, Fenrir, Fornjot, Hati, Hyrrokkin, Kari, Loge, Mundilfari, Narvi, Phoebe, Skathi, Skoll, Surtur, Suttungr, Thrymr, Ymir, S/2004 S 7, S/2004 S 12, S/2004 S 13, S/2004 S 17, S/2006 S 1, S/2006 S 3, S/2006 S 4, S/2006 S 6, S/2007 S 2, and S/2007 S 3. All of these moons orbit Saturn in a retrograde direction. The Norse group is a large group of moons of Saturn which share similar orbits. ... This article is about retrograde motion. ... Aegir (IPA: ), or Saturn XXXVI (provisional designation S/2004 S 10) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Bergelmir, or Saturn XXXVIII (provisional designation S/2004 S 15) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Bestla, or Saturn XXXIX (provisional designation S/2004 S 18) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Farbauti, or Saturn XL (provisional designation S/2004 S 9) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Fenrir, or Saturn XLI (provisional designation S/2004 S 16) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Fornjot (IPA: ), or Saturn XLII (provisional designation S/2004 S 8) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Hati, or Saturn XLIII (provisional designation S/2004 S 14) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Hyrrokkin, or Saturn XLIV (provisional designation S/2004 S 19) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Kari, or Saturn XLV (provisional designation S/2006 S 2) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Loge, or Saturn XLVI (provisional designation S/2006 S 5) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Mundilfari (moon-dil-fair-ee, Norse Mundilfäri) (Saturn XXV) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Narvi (nar-vee) (Saturn XXXI) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... For other meanings see Phoebe. ... Skathi (skaadh-ee, with a voiced th as in this) (Saturn XXVII) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Skoll, or Saturn XLVII (provisional designation S/2006 S 8) is a retrograde irregular satellite of Saturn. ... Surtur, or Saturn XLVIII (provisional designation S/2006 S 7) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Suttungr (soot-oong-ur) (Saturn XXIII) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Thrymr (THRIM er) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Ymir (ee-mur) (Saturn XIX) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... S/2004 S 7 is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... S/2004 S 12 is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... S/2004 S 13 is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... S/2004 S 17 is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... S/2006 S 1 is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... S/2006 S 3 is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... S/2006 S 4 is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... S/2006 S 6 is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... S/2007 S 2 is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... S/2007 S 3 is a natural satellite of Saturn. ...

Gallic group

Main article: Saturn's Gallic group of satellites

The Gallic group are four prograde outer moons that are similar enough in their distance from Saturn and their orbital inclination that they can be considered a group. They are Albiorix, Bebhionn, Erriapo, and Tarvos. The Gallic group is made up of moons of Saturn which share similar orbits. ... Albiorix (al-bee-or-iks) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Bebhionn, or Saturn XXXVII (provisional designation S/2004 S 11) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Erriapo (air-ee-ap-oe?, Latin Erriapō or Erriappō) (Saturn XXVIII) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ... Tarvos (tar-vus) (Saturn XXI) is a natural satellite of Saturn. ...

The diagram illustrates the orbits of the irregular satellites of Saturn discovered so far¹. The eccentricity of the orbits is represented by the segments (extending from the pericentre to the apocentre) with the inclination represented on Y axis. The satellites above the axis are prograde, the satellites beneath are retrograde. The X axis is labelled in Gm (million km) and the fraction of the Hill sphere's (gravitational influence) radius (~65 Gm for Saturn). Prograde groups: Inuit and Gallic and the retrograde Norse group are clearly identifiable (from top to bottom). This diagram shows the orbits of Saturns irregular satellites surrounding the planet like a swarm. ... A diagram of Keplerian orbital elements. ... A diagram of Keplerian orbital elements. ... This article is about retrograde motion. ... Prograde motion is the motion of a planetary body in a direction similar to that of other bodies within its system, and is sometimes called direct motion, especially in astrology. ... A gigametre (American spelling: gigameter) (symbol: Gm) is a unit of length equal to 109 metres. ... A Hill sphere approximates the gravitational sphere of influence of one astronomical body in the face of perturbations from another heavier body around which it orbits. ...

¹Named satellites are plotted in yellow; the unnamed satellites S/2004 Sxx (announced in 2005 and 2006) are plotted in white and S/2006 Sxx in grey.

Naming notes

Some asteroids share the same names as moons of Saturn: 55 Pandora, 106 Dione, 577 Rhea, 1809 Prometheus, 1810 Epimetheus, 4450 Pan. See also Name conflicts of solar system objects. 253 Mathilde, a C-type asteroid. ... 55 Pandora is a quite large and very bright Main belt asteroid. ... 106 Dione is a large main belt asteroid. ... 577 Rhea 577 Rhea is a minor planet orbiting Sun. ... 1809 Prometheus is an asteroid that shares the name of one of the lesser-known Saturnian moons, Prometheus. ... 1810 Epimetheus is an asteroid that was discovered on September 24, 1960 by Cornelis Johannes Van Houten, Ingrid Van Houten-Groeneveld, and Tom Gehrels at Palomar Observatory near Pauma Valley, California. ... Although in principle every named body in the Solar system ought to have a distinct name, due to a variety of circumstances, there are several real or apparent name conflicts between different solar system bodies. ...

See also

• Saturn's moons in fiction
• Natural satellites of Mars · Jupiter · Uranus · Neptune · Pluto
• Timeline of discovery of Solar System planets and their natural satellites
• Naming of natural satellites

Saturn and its moons Several of Saturns natural satellites of have figured prominently in works of science fiction. ... The relative sizes of and distance between Mars, Phobos, and Deimos, to scale. ... Jupiters outer moons and their highly inclined orbits. ... Uranus has 27 known moons. ... Neptune (top) and Triton (bottom), 3 days after the Voyager 2 flyby. ... The planet Pluto has three known moons. ... This timeline of discovery of Solar System planets and their natural satellites charts the progress of the discovery of new bodies over history. ... The naming of natural satellites has been the responsibility of the IAUs committee for Planetary System Nomenclature since 1973. ...

References

• Saturnian Satellites Fact Sheet
• Saturn's Rings by NASA's Solar System Exploration
• USGS Astrogeology: Gazetteer of Planetary Names - Planetary Body Names and Discoverers