Saturn's Largest Moon May Actually Be 2 Moons in 1 — and Helped Birth the Planet's Iconic Rings

Saturn's largest moon may actually be 2 moons in 1 — and helped birth the planet's iconic rings

A new study hints that Saturn's largest moon, Titan, was created around 400 million years ago, when two massive moons smashed into each other. This hypothesis could also help to solve several other mysteries surrounding other moons and the planet's iconic rings.

A Missing Moon May Have Created Both Titan and Saturn’s Rings

Saturn’s rings and its largest moon, Titan, may share a surprisingly violent origin. Saturn’s rings look timeless through a backyard telescope, but multiple lines of evidence suggest they may be relatively recent arrivals in the Solar System. That surprising idea has pushed scientists to look for a “missing chapter” in Saturn’s moon history. One of [...]

Saturn’s rings and moon Titan formed through ancient moon collisions

At a glance, Saturn’s rings appear calm and pristine when observed from afar. These rings are quite narrow and consist mainly of water ice particles that uniformly circle Saturn in a symmetric configuration. However, a recent study indicates that the current state of Saturn’s rings results from repeated cataclysmic events that have occurred over time. According to Matija Ćuk and his colleagues at the SETI Institute, the origin of Saturn’s larges…

Researchers Suggest Saturn's Titan Moon Formed in a Single High-Energy Impact Event

New research suggests Saturn’s largest moon Titan and its iconic rings may share a violent origin. Simulations indicate Titan formed after a massive collision between two moons about 100 to 200 million years ago, resurfacing Titan and altering its orbit. The resulting instability likely shattered smaller moons, sending icy debris inward to create Saturn’s surprisingly young rings. Scientists say future missions could uncover evidence confirming …