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Saturn Moons

satrunmoons

Saturn is home to one of the most fascinating and diverse collections of moons in our solar system. Here's an overview of its most notable moons and key facts:


How Many Moons Does Saturn Have?

  • As of now, Saturn has over 140 confirmed moons.

  • It surpassed Jupiter in total moon count, with many moons discovered in recent years through telescopic surveys.


Major Moons of Saturn (The “Big 7”)

1. Titan

  • Largest Saturn moon, second-largest in the solar system (bigger than Mercury)

  • Has a thick atmosphere made mostly of nitrogen

  • Features rivers, lakes, and seas of liquid methane and ethane

  • Target of future missions like NASA’s Dragonfly rotorcraft


2. Enceladus

  • An icy moon with active geysers ejecting water vapor and organic material

  • Has a subsurface ocean—one of the best places to search for alien life

  • Tiny (about 500 km across) but incredibly reflective and geologically active


3. Mimas

  • Nicknamed the “Death Star Moon” due to a massive crater (Herschel Crater)

  • Small and heavily cratered

  • Despite its quiet surface, may have internal heat or even a subsurface ocean


4. Tethys

  • Icy and bright, with a giant canyon system (Ithaca Chasma)

  • Low density, suggesting it's mostly water ice

  • Orbits close to Enceladus


5. Dione

  • Features ice cliffs and wispy surface streaks caused by tectonic activity

  • May also harbor a thin subsurface ocean


6. Rhea

  • Saturn’s second-largest moon

  • May have its own ring system, although this remains unconfirmed

  • Surface shows signs of both cratering and tectonic activity


7. Iapetus

  • Known for its dramatic color contrast—one side is dark, the other bright

  • Has an unusual equatorial ridge, making it look like a walnut


Other Noteworthy Moons

  • Hyperion: Sponge-like appearance due to its porous surface and low density

  • Phoebe: A retrograde, irregular moon—likely a captured object from the Kuiper Belt

  • Pan and Atlas: Tiny “ring shepherds” with strange, UFO-like shapes caused by ring material buildup

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