Saturn | EarthSky

2 large planets with dusty disks around them. One has magnetic field lines arcing from pole to pole.

Why do Jupiter’s large moons outnumber Saturn’s?

Jupiter's large moons - Ganymede, Callisto, Io and Europa - number four. But Saturn has just one large moon, Titan. Why? It may be the planets' magnetic fields.

Animation of many small moons circling Saturn, with colorful orbits displayed.

More moons for Jupiter and Saturn! New totals here

The Minor Planet Center announced 4 more moons for Jupiter and 11 for Saturn on March 16, 2026. Their new grand totals? Saturn has 285 and Jupiter has 101.

Banded planet with hair-thin rings seen edge-on. A dark orange round moon is floating in front of the rings.

Did an epic collision form Saturn’s moon Titan and rings?

How did Saturn's moon Titan and Saturn's iconic rings form? A new study suggests a huge collision between 2 former moons was responsible for both.

Planet embraced by crescent shapes, with 5 star systems with planets around it.

Saturn-mass rogue planet revealed in unique new observations

Astronomers have discovered a Saturn-mass rogue planet nearly 10,000 light-years away. It's the 1st one found using both observatories on Earth and in space.

Planet with banded atmosphere in pinks and tans, with flat concentric rings around it.

Saturn at opposition – brightest for 2026 – on October 4

Don't miss Saturn at opposition on and around the night of October 4, 2026. That's when our planet Earth passes between the sun and Saturn.

The orb of Saturn and its extensive ring system with the planet showing through the rings and a glow behind it all.

Saturn’s rings are weird and wonderful: 10 facts here

Saturn's rings are a glorious highlight of our solar system. But how long have they existed? And what will happen to them? Find out all that and more.

Banded planet with rings around it. A small, round reddish moon floats near it, casting a shadow on the planet.

Saturn’s rings: Top tips for beginners

If you want to see Saturn's rings, September 2025 is a great time to look. Grab a telescope, find a dark sky and read the tips found here!

Titan is casting its shadow on planet Saturn

Saturn's ring are currently almost edge-on, so you can see shadow transits of its largest moon Titan on its surface. See some images here.

Segment of planet with rings and small blue dot in space near it with arrow pointing to it saying You are here.

The Day the Earth Smiled at Saturn 12 years ago

July 19 is the 12th anniversary of The Day the Earth Smiled, the 3rd-ever image of Earth from the outer solar system, taken by the great Cassini spacecraft.

Saturn: Gray circle with light edges and equator with a white spot on left edge marked by blue lines

Did something just hit Saturn? See the image here!

Did something hit Saturn, resulting in a bright flash on July 5, 2025? Possibly! We await confirmation from other observers. Find out more here.

Large blue planet seen from behind, with smaller planet crossing a red sun-like star.

Surprise! Super-Earth exoplanets in Saturn-like orbits

The discovery of a super-Earth orbiting farther from its star than Saturn orbits the sun suggests that super-Earth exoplanets are common in our galaxy.

Animation showing different colored lines for the orbits of the 128 new Saturn moons.

128 new Saturn moons just announced. Incredible!

Astronomers have discovered a whopping 128 new Saturn moons. This brings Saturn's moon total to 274, by far the most of any planet in our solar system.

Huygens landed on Saturn’s moon Titan 20 years ago

On January 14, 2005, the Huygens spacecraft descended through the atmosphere of Saturn's moon Titan and landed on its surface. See the images of Titan.

Crescent moon and Saturn, annotated, with Saturn close to the dark edge of the moon.

Last night’s moon blotted out Saturn. Pics here!

The moon blotted out Saturn last night, in an event called an "occultation" by astronomers. See photos here from the EarthSky community.

Golden ball of Saturn, surrounded by nearly edgewise rings, and a little dot of a moon.

Pioneer 11 swept past Saturn 45 years ago today

Pioneer 11 was the 1st spacecraft to encounter Saturn. A true pioneer, it paved the way for the 2 Voyagers in 1980 and 1981 plus Cassini from 2004 to 2017.

Top left of a dark gray sphere. There is a small, brownish sphere to its left that has a ring around.

Moon and Saturn close together this week. See the images!

Did you miss the moon and Saturn close together on August 20, 2024? Here's a gallery and video full of images of the event. Enjoy!

Golden globe of Saturn with edge-on rings and dark moon, and wide shadows of rings striping the planet.

Saturn’s rings are disappearing!

Saturn's rings are disappearing from view. The rings will appear edge-on in March 2025. Because they're so thin, the rings will disappear from Earth's sight.

Hubble watches spoke season in Saturn’s rings

NASA's Hubble telescope has recently observed spoke season in Saturn's rings. The spokes are ghostly transient features that appear and disappear seasonally.

Saturn closest and brightest for 2023: Best photos

Earth flew between the sun and Saturn on August 27. Then Earth was between the sun and moon, at full moon on August 30. Photos here of Saturn and the moon!

Green line of ecliptic with full moon and Saturn along it.

Full Blue Moon near Saturn: It’s a supermoon on August 30-31

Look for the full moon near Saturn - it's a supermoon and a Blue Moon - overnight on August 30-31, 2023. They're both at their biggest and brightest in 2023.

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Why do Jupiter’s large moons outnumber Saturn’s?

More moons for Jupiter and Saturn! New totals here

Did an epic collision form Saturn’s moon Titan and rings?

Saturn-mass rogue planet revealed in unique new observations

Saturn at opposition – brightest for 2026 – on October 4

Saturn’s rings are weird and wonderful: 10 facts here

Saturn’s rings: Top tips for beginners

Titan is casting its shadow on planet Saturn

The Day the Earth Smiled at Saturn 12 years ago

Did something just hit Saturn? See the image here!

Surprise! Super-Earth exoplanets in Saturn-like orbits

128 new Saturn moons just announced. Incredible!

Huygens landed on Saturn’s moon Titan 20 years ago

Last night’s moon blotted out Saturn. Pics here!

Pioneer 11 swept past Saturn 45 years ago today

Moon and Saturn close together this week. See the images!

Saturn’s rings are disappearing!

Hubble watches spoke season in Saturn’s rings

Saturn closest and brightest for 2023: Best photos

Full Blue Moon near Saturn: It’s a supermoon on August 30-31