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Saturn
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Saturn Planets of Our Solar System Saturn Cassini: Saturn Saturn's three main rings Hubble Space Telescope: Saturn and moons Saturn: Titan Saturn: surface of Titan
Learn about the Cassini-Huygens mission to Titan, the largest moon of Saturn with an atmosphere of its own
moons of Saturn: Mimas
For Students
Saturn
Saturn summary
Quizzes
View of the Andromeda Galaxy (Messier 31, M31).
Astronomy and Space Quiz
The orbits of the planets and other elements of the solar system, including asteroids, Kuiper belt, Oort cloud, comet
Space Odyssey
Saturn. Saturn and its rings. Second largest planet of the solar system. Space Art
Planets and the Earth’s Moon
1 July 2002: The Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) satellite reveals a massive solar eruption more than 30 times the Earth's diameter. The eruption formed when a loop of a magnetic field over the surface of the Sun trapped hot gas.
Brightest Star in the Solar System
Nicolaus Copernicus. Nicolas Copernicus (1473-1543) Polish astronomer. In 1543 he published, forward proof of a Heliocentric (sun centered) universe. Coloured stipple engraving published London 1802. De revolutionibus orbium coelestium libri vi.
All About Astronomy
Related Questions
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Solar system illustration. (Sun; planets)
A Model of the Cosmos
Remarkable new details of Pluto's largest moon Charon are revealed in this image from New Horizons' Long Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI), taken late on July 13, 2015 from a distance of 289,000 miles
Why Is Pluto No Longer a Planet?
Galaxy clusters like Abell 2744 can act as a natural cosmic lens, magnifying light from more distant, background objects through gravity. NASA's James Webb Space Telescope may be able to detect light from the first stars in the universe if they are gravitationally lensed by such clusters. (astronomy, space exploration, galaxies)
How Fast Is the Universe Expanding?
Mars rover. Mars Pathfinder. NASA. Sojourner.
10 Important Dates in Mars History
Discover
Ahura Mazda - relief of the Zoroastrian god Ahura Mazda at the ancient ruins of Persepolis in Iran. Also known as Ormazd Zoroastrianism,
Which Religion Is the Oldest?
NBA Lakers Celtics Finals Kevin Garnett shooting.
10 Great Sports Rivalries
Marriage. A couple getting married during a church wedding ceremony. (religion, ceremony, bride, groom)
The Seven Sacraments of the Roman Catholic church
July, 2006, Launch of Space Shuttle Discovery STS-121. See attached for full caption information.
Will Light-Speed Space Travel Ever Be Possible?
Chinese pictograph, calligraphy tablet of Huang Tingjian, a famous calligrapher in Ancient Song Dynasty. The background of Chinese cultural elements.
The World’s 5 Most Commonly Used Writing Systems
Artist interpretation of a Space meteoroid impact. Meteor impact. Asteroid, End of the world, danger, destruction, dinosaur extinct, Judgement Day, Planet Earth, Doomsday Predictions, comet
10 Failed Doomsday Predictions
Agnes with a lamb near her feet. St. Agnes (Saint Agnes) design drawing for stained glass window by J&R Lamb Studios, ink, mount size 10.5 x 14.5 in.
Roman Catholic Saints

Saturn’s rings and moons

in Saturn
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Written by
Bonnie Buratti
Senior Research Scientist, Principal Scientist and Supervisor: Comets, Asteroids, and Satellites Group, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology.
Bonnie Buratti,
Mark Marley
Scientist, Space Science and Astrobiology Division, NASA Ames Research Center, Moffet Field, California. Consulting Professor, Geological Sciences, Stanford University.
Mark Marley•All
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Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last Updated: • Article History
A ‘sad face’ in the sky: Singaporeans catch rare ‘smiley’ celestial alignment • Apr. 25, 2025, 8:31 AM ET (Straits Times)
Mercury, Venus and Saturn to delight stargazers in a parade across the sky • Apr. 24, 2025, 5:42 AM ET (NPR)
There's liquid on Titan, Saturn's largest moon. But something's missing and scientists are confused • Apr. 23, 2025, 1:46 AM ET (Space)
Triple conjunction of Venus, Saturn and Moon on April 25 • Apr. 22, 2025, 8:31 AM ET (The Hindu)

Although Saturn’s rings and moons may seem to constitute two groups of quite different entities, they form a single complex system of objects whose structures, dynamics, and evolution are intimately linked. The orbits of the innermost known moons fall within or between the outermost rings, and new moons continue to be found embedded in the ring structure. Indeed, the ring system itself can be considered to consist of myriad tiny moons—ranging from mere dust specks to car- and house-sized pieces—in their own individual orbits around Saturn. Because of the difficulty in distinguishing between the largest ring particles and the smallest moons, determining a precise number of moons for Saturn may not be possible.