APOD: 2026 August 11 - Six Moons of Saturn - NASA Science
APODAstronomy Picture of the DayDiscover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional. . .
APODAstronomy Picture of the DayDiscover the cosmos!Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer. Explanation:How many moons does Saturn have?While the total will likely continue to grow, as of June 2026 the ringed gas giant had 293 confirmed moons. That's easily morethan any other planetof the Solar System, including ruling gas giant Jupiter with a mere 115 confirmed moons. Most of Saturn's known moons are small, irregular satellites. Many are only few kilometers to a fraction of a kilometer across andgrouped intilted outer orbits. Six of its largest satellites can be seen here, though, in this sharp telescopicSaturnian family portraittaken on August 5. Larger than Earth's Moon and even slightly larger than inner planet Mercury,Titan, with a diameter of 5,150 kilometers, is at lower right. You can also spot icy major moonsMimas,Tethys,Enceladus,Dione, andRheain the frame. Saturn's first known natural satellite, Titan wasdiscovered in 1655by Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens. During the space age Voyager andCassini discoverieshave added to theswelling ranksof Saturnian moons. NASA Stream:August 12 Total Solar Eclipse. Tomorrow's picture:pixels in spaceDateAugust 11, 2026Credit & Copyright:Alexandre TrentiniAuthors & editors:Jerry Bonnell, Cecilia Chirenti, Robert Nemiroff, Keighley RockcliffeA service of:ASDatNASA/GSFC,NASA Science Activation&Michigan Tech. U.