Saturn's tilt caused by its moons

Rather like David versus Goliath, it appears that Saturn's tilt may in fact be caused by its moons. This is the conclusion of recent work carried out by scientists from the CNRS, Sorbonne University and the University of Pisa, which shows that the current tilt of Saturn's rotation axis is caused by the migration of its satellites, and especially by that of its largest moon, Titan.

Recent observations have shown that Titan and the other moons are gradually moving away from Saturn much faster than astronomers had previously estimated.

By incorporating this increased migration rate into their calculations, the researchers concluded that this process affects the inclination of Saturn's rotation axis: as its satellites move further away, the planet tilts more and more.

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Credit: Coline SAILLENFEST / IMCCE

Artist’s impression of the migration of Titan and the tilt of Saturn.

Source / Image Courtesy

Credit: Melaine SAILLENFEST / IMCCE

A schematic animation showing Titan’s migration and Saturn entering into resonance. The frame is rotating, so the axis stops moving when resonance is achieved.

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Hubble Video of Moons Circling Saturn

This Hubble time-lapse movie shows the orbits of some of Saturn's icy moons as they circle the planet over an 18-hour period.

The video is composed of 33 Hubble snapshots of the planet, taken June 19 to 20, 2019, by the Wide Field Camera 3.

The closer the moon is to Saturn, the faster it orbits, according to the laws of gravity.