Introduction
Saturn is known as the “moon king” of the solar system because it has a total of 82 moons. Out of these 82 moons, 53 were named and 29 were waiting for confirmation. They are unconfirmed because of the little information about their structure and composition and other things. If all of these moons get confirmed, Saturn will have 82 moons. And that’s not counting Saturn’s beautiful rings. The moons of Saturn are thus described below.
Different moons of Saturn with their interesting facts
1. Titan
This moon of Saturn is the most famous moon and we all know about this natural satellite. It is the largest moon of Saturn and the second-largest moon in our entire solar system. The size is even bigger than that of Mercury. Titan is the only place other than the Earth that holds fluids in the form of rivers, lakes, and oceans underneath it.
2. Hyperion
It is the largest moon in the solar system. It is a potato-shaped satellite and hence is nonspherical in its structure. Due to its irregular structure, Hyperion constantly changes its rotation path thus creating chaos with its nearing satellites. The temperature of this moon is about -180°C. It travels around Saturn in an eccentric orbit with an average distance of 932,637 miles. This satellite is mainly composed of ice and carbon dioxide.
3. Rhea
It is the second-largest moon of Saturn. Made up of mainly rocks and ice. this is the only satellite of Saturn with oxygen in the atmosphere. Because of uneven rocks, it is the most heavily cratered satellite in our solar system. 949 miles in diameter, orbits farther from the planet, averaging 327,490 miles away.
4. Lapetus
It is the third-largest satellite of Saturn having a diameter of 914 miles and rotates at a distance of 2,213,000 miles from Saturn. It contains some of the highest mountains of the solar system which are maybe the broken parts or materials from other satellites of Saturn.
5. Dione
It is the fourth-largest moon of Saturn, with a diameter of 698 miles. It is the 15th largest moon in the solar system. Dione orbits around Saturn once every 2.7 earth-days, at a distance of 234,000 miles. The temperature in this moon is -186°C.
6. Tethys
Tethys is Saturn’s fifth-largest moon. The temperature of this moon is -187°C. Tethys orbits 183,000 miles from Saturn, taking 45.3 hours to circle the planet.
7. Enceladus
This satellite of Saturn has a diameter of 314 miles and rotates around 147,909 miles from the planet. The average temperature of this moon is -201°C. There are at least five different types of terrain on the surface of Enceladus.
8. Mimas
Mimas has a giant crater having a diameter of 130 km named Herschel. The temperature of Mimas is -209°C. Although the moon is the smallest of Saturn’s major satellites, it apparently cleared sufficient material to create the 2,980-mile wide gap between the two largest rings. Traveling only 115,280 miles from Saturn, Mimas is the closest major moon orbiting the planet.
9. Aegaeon
Aegaeon is the smallest moon in Saturn with a radius of 0.12 km. It’s not a sphere, but rather it’s almost football-shaped. Aegaeon is embedded in, this moon most likely has a density around half that of water ice.
10. Aegir
Aegir is a member of the Norse Group of the moon. The radius of this moon is 1.9 miles. The density of this moon is 2.3 gm/ cm3. It orbits Saturn at an inclination of about 167° and an eccentricity of 0.25.
11. Albiorix
Albiorix is one of the four known members of the Gallic group of moons. It has a mean radius of 9.9 miles. At a distance of 10.2 million miles from Saturn, the moon takes about 783.5 Earth days to complete one orbit.
12. Anthe
Anthe is a tiny moon. Its radius is 0.6 miles. It orbits between Mimas and Enceladus at about 122,800 miles from Saturn.
13. Atlas
Atlas is an inner moon of Saturn. The small, pointy moon has a mean radius of 9.4 miles. It orbits 85,544 miles away, taking 14 hours to complete its trip around the planet.
14. Bebhionn
Bebhionn is one of the four known members of the Gallic group of moons. At a mean distance of 10.6 million miles from Saturn, the moon takes about 835 Earth days to complete one orbit. Its radius is 1.9 miles.
15. Bergelmir
Bergelmir was discovered on December 12, 2004. It is a member of the Norse Group of moons with a radius of 1.9 miles. At a mean distance of 12 million miles from Saturn, the moon takes about 1,006 Earth days to complete one orbit.
16. Bestla
The diameter of the Bestla was about 7 km and orbited Saturn at an average distance of 20,192,000 km on 1088 Terran days, with a tendency for the planet with a return and a concentration of 0.5145. Bestla has a radius of 2.2 miles. It orbits Saturn at an inclination of about 142 degrees and an eccentricity of about 0.5.
17. Calypso
It is a moon of Saturn. Calypso has a mean radius of 6.6 miles across. It follows Tethys in its orbit by 60°. Calypso is a Trojan of the larger moon Tethys, orbiting 183,000 miles (295,000 km) from Saturn, and completing one orbit in 45 hours.
18. Daphnis
It is an inner satellite of Saturn. Daphnis is about 8 km in diameter and orbits the planet in the killer gap within the A ring. It was discovered by the Cassini Mission Team on 1 May 2005 and has a mean radius of 2.4 miles and orbits 85,000 miles from Saturn.
19. Epimetheus
This satellite is also known as Saturn XI. It is a potato-shaped moon with a mean radius of 36 miles. Epimetheus has several craters larger than 19 miles, including Hilaire and Pollux. This moon orbits 94,000 miles away from Saturn, taking 17 hours to circle the planet, in the gap between the F and G rings.
20. Erriapus
It was discovered on September 23, 2000, is a prograde irregular satellite of Saturn. One of the four known members of the Gallic group of moons. It has a mean radius of 3.1 miles (5 km). At a mean distance of 10.9 million miles from Saturn, the moon takes about 871 Earth days to complete one orbit.
21. Farbauti
Discovered on December 12, 2004. It is one of the members of the Norse Group. It is about 5 km in diameter. The average radius of his moon is about 1.6 miles (2.5 km). This moon takes about 1,087 Earth days to complete one orbit. It orbiting at a mean distance of 122.7 million miles from Saturn.
22. Fenrir
It has a mean radius of 1.2 miles. At a mean distance of 14 million miles from Saturn, the moon takes about 1,260 Earth days to complete one orbit. It is a Norse Group member satellite.
23. Fornjot
It is the second outermost natural satellite of Saturn. It has a radius of 1.9 miles. This moon takes about 1,494 Earth days to complete one orbit. It orbiting a distance of 15.6 million miles from Saturn.
24. Greip
It is a member of the Norse Group of moons. Its orbital period is 936 days. Has a mean radius of 1.9 miles, assuming an albedo of 0.04. It was discovered in 2006.
25. Hati
It is a member of the Norse Group of satellites. This “irregular” satellite has retrograde orbits around Saturn traveling around in the opposite direction from the planet’s rotation. Its rotational period is just 5.5 hours, the fastest known rotation of all Saturn’s moons, has a mean radius of 1.9 miles.
26. Helene
It was discovered on March 1, 1980, and is a small and faint satellite of Saturn. Orbits 234,505 miles away from Saturn. It takes 2.7 Earth days to complete one orbit. It has a mean radius of 10.9 miles with a dimension of 7,774.8 miles.
27. Hyrrokkin
This “irregular” satellite has retrograde orbits around Saturn traveling around in the opposite direction from the planet’s rotation. It is a member of the Norse Group of satellites. Has a radius of 1.9 miles. At a mean distance of 11.5 million miles from Saturn, the moon takes about 932 Earth days to complete one orbit.
28. Ijiraq
Ijiraq is one of five known members of the Inuit group of moons. It has a mean radius of 3.5 miles, assuming an albedo of 0.06. Was discovered on September 23, 2000.
29. Janus
Janus is a potato-shaped moon. It has a mean radius of 55.6 miles. This moon orbits 94,000 miles away from Saturn, taking 17 hours to complete one orbit, in the gap between the F and G rings.
30. Jarnsaxa
Jarnsaxa was discovered on March 6, 2006. It is a member of the Norse Group of satellites. Has a mean radius of 1.9 miles, assuming an albedo of 0.04. It orbits Saturn at an inclination of about 163 ° and an eccentricity of about 0.2.
31. Kari
Kari was discovered on March 6, 2006. Its rotation period is 7 hours and 42 minutes, is a member of the Norse Group of moons. It orbiting at a mean distance of 13.7 million miles from Saturn. Was named for a wind giant in Norse mythology.
32. Kiviuq
It is one of five known members of the Inuit group of moons. Kiviuq has a mean radius of about 5 miles. It rotates once every 21 hours and 49 minutes.
33. Loge
Discovered on March 6, 2006. Loge is a member of the Norse Group. At a mean distance of 14.3 million miles from Saturn. The moon takes about 1,311 Earth days to complete one orbit.
34. Methone
It was discovered on June 1, 2004, by the Cassini Imaging Team. Has a tiny 1-mile mean radius moon. It orbits Saturn in 24 hours.
35. Mundilfari
It is a Norse Group satellite. It has a mean radius of 2.2 miles assuming an albedo of 0.06. At a mean distance of 11.6 million miles from Saturn, the moon takes about 953 Earth days to complete one orbit.
36. Narvi
It is a natural satellite about 7 km in diameter and orbits Saturn at an average distance of 19,371,000 km in 1006.541 days. Discovered by a team of astronomers led by Scott S. Sheppard in 2003. It is a Norse Group satellite.
37. Paaliaq
It is a non-spherical moon of Saturn. It is a member of the Inuit group of non-spherical moons. The diameter of this moon is 22 km. the radius of this moon is about 6.8 miles. It has the most eccentric orbit around Saturn, meaning that its orbit is shaped like an oval.
38. Pallene
Pallene is a tiny moon, with a mean radius of 1.6 miles that orbits between Mimas and Enceladus at about 132,000 miles from Saturn. The Cassini Imaging Team discovered Pallene on June 1, 2004.
39. Pan
It is the innermost moon of Saturn with a mean radius of 8.8 miles and orbits 83,000 miles away from Saturn. As it orbits Saturn every 13.8 hours, it acts as a shepherded moon and is responsible for keeping the Encke Gap open. The gap is a 200-mile opening in Saturn’s A ring. Pan creates stripes, called “wakes” in the ring material on either side of it.
40. Pandora
This is a potato-shaped moon and was discovered in October 1980 by the Voyager 1 science team. It is about 25.3 miles in the mean radius. Orbits 88,000 miles away from Saturn, near the F ring, take 15.1 hours to go around Saturn.
41. Phoebe
It is about 66.2 miles in the mean radius. It orbits at a distance of 8,049,668 miles from the planet. Phoebe and Lapetus are the only major moons in the Saturnian system that do not orbit closely to the plane of Saturn’s equator.
42. Polydeuces
It is a small moon with a mean radius of just 0.8 miles. Orbiting Saturn at a distance of about 234,000 miles. It was discovered by the Cassini Mission Team on Oct. 21, 2004.
43. Prometheus
It was discovered in October 1980. Prometheus is a potato-shaped moon. It is about 26.8 miles in the mean radius. It orbiting Saturn at a distance of about 87,000 miles.
44. S/2004 S12
Discovered on 12th December 2004. It is a member of the Norse group satellite. The radius of this satellite is 1.6 miles.
45. S/2004 S13
It is a natural satellite of Saturn. It is about 6 km in diameter and orbits Saturn at an average distance of 18,056 miles in 905.848 days.
46. S/2004 S17
It is a natural satellite of Saturn. It is about 4 km in diameter and orbits Saturn at an average distance of 19,099 miles in 985.45 days. The moon has not been seen since its discovery in 2007 and is currently considered to be lost.
47. S/2004 S7
This satellite was discovered on December 12, 2004, and takes about 1,140 Earth days to complete one orbit.
48. S/2006 S1
Discovered on March 6, 2006, and has a mean radius of 1.9 miles, assuming an albedo of 0.04. Orbiting a distance of 11.7 million miles from Saturn.
49. S/2006 S3
It is a natural satellite of Saturn, about 6 km in diameter, and orbits Saturn at an average distance of 21,308,400 km in 1160.7 days.
50. S/2007 S2
It is a natural satellite of Saturn and about 6 km in diameter and orbits Saturn at an average distance of 16,054,500 km in 759.2 days. The moon has not been seen since its discovery in 2007 and was considered to be lost. But it was later recovered and announced in October 2019.
51. S/2007 S3
It is a natural satellite of Saturn, discovered in 2007. About 5 km in diameter and orbits Saturn at an average distance of 20,518,000 km in about 1100 days. The moon has not been seen since its discovery in 2007 and is currently considered to be lost.
52. S/2009 S1
This satellite was first identified by the Cassini Imaging Team in July 2009. It is a “propeller moonlet” of Saturn. It orbits at a distance of 117,000 km in the outer part of Saturn’s B ring.
53. Siarnaq
It is a prograde irregular satellite and is the largest member of the Inuit group of irregular satellites. It orbits Saturn at an average distance of 17.5 gm in 895 days. Siarnaq is about 40 km in diameter.
54. Skathi
Discovered on September 23, 2000, and is also called Skadi. It has an average radius of 2.5 miles. It orbiting a mean distance of 9.7 million miles from Saturn.
55. Skoll
It is a member of the Norse group of moons. At a mean distance of 11.0 million miles from Saturn, the moon takes about 878 Earth days to complete one orbit.
56. Surtur
Discovered on March 6, 2006, by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, and Jan T. Kleyna using the Subaru 8.3-m reflector telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. The radius of Surtur is 1.9 miles. It is a member of the Norse group of moons.
57. Suttungr
It is a member of the Norse group of moons. It has a mean radius of 2.2 miles. At a mean distance of 12.1 million miles from Saturn, the moon takes about 1,017 Earth days to complete one orbit.
58. Tarqeq
Discovered on 13 April 2007. It is a member of the Inuit group of moons. It has a 1.9-mile mean radius.
59. Tarvos
It was discovered on September 23, 2000, and is one of the four known members of the Gallic group of moons. The radius of Tarvos is about 4.7 miles (7.5 km). At a mean distance of 11.4 million miles from Saturn, the moon takes about 926 Earth days to complete one orbit.
60. Telesto
It is known as a “Tethys Trojan” because, together with the calypso, it circles Saturn in the same orbit as the moon Tethys. It is 7.7 miles (12.4 km) in the mean radius. At a distance of about 183,000 miles from Saturn, the moon takes 45.3 hours to make one trip around the planet
61. Thrymr
It is a member of the Norse group of moons. It was discovered in 2000. Ymir has an average radius of about 2.2 miles (3.5 km). At a mean distance of 12.7 million miles from Saturn, the moon takes about 1,094 Earth days to complete one orbit.
62. Ymir
Ymir has an average radius of about 5.6 miles. It is a member of the Norse group of moons, discovered in 2000. Named in August 2003, from Norse mythology, Ymir is the ancestor of all the jotuns or frost giants. It takes 3.6 Earth years to complete an orbit around Saturn.
Apart from these 62 moons, more than 20 satellites have been discovered in Saturn. These satellites were discovered in October 2019. Saturn has the largest number of moons in the solar system (2) & (5).
Since Saturn does not have a real surface, but rather a rotating fluid, we know it is not conducive to life. Saturn’s moons have the inner oceans of Titan and Enceladus, respectively that could possibly contain life. Saturn’s wind is the second-fastest among the planets in the solar system after Neptune (1).
