Editing Saturn (section)

== Natural satellites ==
{{Main|Moons of Saturn}}
[[File:Saturn's Rings PIA03550.jpg|thumb|400x400px|Artist conception of Saturn, its rings and major icy moons—from Mimas to Rhea]]

Saturn has 274 known [[natural satellite|moons]], 63 of which have formal names.<ref name="UBC-20230511">{{cite news|title=Saturn now leads moon race with 62 newly discovered moons|url=https://science.ubc.ca/news/saturn-now-leads-moon-race-62-newly-discovered-satellites|work=UBC Science|publisher=University of British Columbia|date=11 May 2023|access-date=11 May 2023}}</ref><ref name="JPLmoons">{{cite web |title=Solar System Dynamics – Planetary Satellite Discovery Circumstances |url=https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sats/discovery.html |publisher=NASA |access-date=4 June 2022 |date=15 November 2021}}</ref> In addition, there is evidence of dozens to hundreds of [[moonlet]]s with diameters of 40–500 meters in Saturn's rings,<ref>{{cite journal |arxiv=0710.4547 |last=Tiscareno |first=Matthew |title=The population of propellers in Saturn's A Ring |date=17 July 2013 |doi=10.1088/0004-6256/135/3/1083 |volume=135 |issue=3 |journal=The Astronomical Journal |pages=1083–1091 |bibcode=2008AJ....135.1083T|s2cid=28620198 }}</ref> which are not considered to be true moons. [[Titan (moon)|Titan]], the largest moon, comprises more than 90% of the mass in orbit around Saturn, including the rings.<ref name=brunier2005/> Saturn's second-largest moon, [[Rhea (moon)|Rhea]], may have a tenuous [[Rings of Rhea|ring system of its own]],<ref name="Jones2008" /> along with a tenuous [[atmosphere]].<ref name=atkinson20101126/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101128222041.htm |title=Thin air: Oxygen atmosphere found on Saturn's moon Rhea |website=ScienceDaily |author=NASA |date=30 November 2010 |access-date=23 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111108215855/http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101128222041.htm |archive-date=8 November 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=ryan20101126/>

Many of the other moons are small: 131 are less than 50&nbsp;km in diameter.<ref name="Saturn moons">{{cite web |url=http://www.dtm.ciw.edu/users/sheppard/satellites/satsatdata.html |title=Saturn's Known Satellites |publisher=Department of Terrestrial Magnetism |access-date=22 June 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110926210000/http://www.dtm.ciw.edu/users/sheppard/satellites/satsatdata.html |archive-date=26 September 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Traditionally, most of Saturn's moons have been named after [[Titans]] of Greek mythology. Titan is the only satellite in the [[Solar System]] with a major [[Atmosphere of Titan|atmosphere]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090129182514.htm |title=Cassini Finds Hydrocarbon Rains May Fill Titan Lakes |website=ScienceDaily |date=30 January 2009 |access-date=19 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111109045639/http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090129182514.htm |archive-date=9 November 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/science/saturn_titan.html |title=Voyager – Titan |publisher=NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory |date=18 October 2010 |access-date=19 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111026090736/http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/science/saturn_titan.html |archive-date=26 October 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> in which a complex [[organic chemistry]] occurs. It is the only satellite with [[Lakes of Titan|hydrocarbon lakes]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna14029488 |title=Evidence of hydrocarbon lakes on Titan |publisher=NBC News |agency=Associated Press |date=25 July 2006 |access-date=19 July 2011 |archive-date=24 August 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140824105749/http://www.nbcnews.com/id/14029488/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/news/2109/ethane-lake-finally-confirmed-titan |title=Hydrocarbon lake finally confirmed on Titan |work=[[Cosmos (magazine)|Cosmos Magazine]] |date=31 July 2008 |access-date=19 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111101134216/http://www.cosmosmagazine.com/news/2109/ethane-lake-finally-confirmed-titan |archive-date=1 November 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On 6 June 2013, scientists at the [[Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía|IAA-CSIC]] reported the detection of [[polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon]]s in the [[upper atmosphere]] of Titan, a [[PAH world hypothesis|possible precursor for life]].<ref name="IAA-20130606">{{cite news |last=López-Puertas |first=Manuel |url=http://www.iaa.es/content/pahs-titans-upper-atmosphere |title=PAH's in Titan's Upper Atmosphere |date=6 June 2013 |work=[[Spanish National Research Council|CSIC]] |access-date=6 June 2013 |archive-date=22 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160822010505/http://www.iaa.es/content/pahs-titans-upper-atmosphere |url-status=live }}</ref> On 23 June 2014, NASA claimed to have strong evidence that [[nitrogen]] in the atmosphere of Titan came from materials in the [[Oort cloud]], associated with [[comet]]s, and not from the materials that formed Saturn in earlier times.<ref name="NASA-201450623">{{cite web |display-authors=1 |last1=Dyches |first1=Preston |last2=Clavin |first2=Clavin |title=Titan's Building Blocks Might Pre-date Saturn |url=http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2014-200 |date=23 June 2014 |work=NASA |access-date=24 June 2014 |archive-date=9 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180909162240/https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2014-200 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Saturn's moon [[Enceladus]], which seems similar in chemical makeup to comets,<ref name="NS-20080326">{{cite web |last=Battersby |first=Stephen |title=Saturn's moon Enceladus surprisingly comet-like |url=https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn13541-saturns-moon-enceladus-surprisingly-cometlike.html |date=26 March 2008 |work=[[New Scientist]] |access-date=16 April 2015 |archive-date=30 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150630011601/http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn13541-saturns-moon-enceladus-surprisingly-cometlike.html |url-status=live }}</ref> has often been regarded as a potential [[Planetary habitability|habitat]] for [[Microorganism|microbial life]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080420122601.htm |title=Could There Be Life On Saturn's Moon Enceladus? |website=ScienceDaily |author=NASA |date=21 April 2008 |access-date=19 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111109041043/http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080420122601.htm |archive-date=9 November 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=madrigal20090624/><ref name=spotts20050928/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://scienceray.com/astronomy/enceladus-saturns-moon-has-liquid-ocean-of-water/ |title=Enceladus: Saturn′s Moon, Has Liquid Ocean of Water |last=Pili |first=Unofre |work=Scienceray |date=9 September 2009 |access-date=21 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111007220555/http://scienceray.com/astronomy/enceladus-saturns-moon-has-liquid-ocean-of-water/ |archive-date=7 October 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Evidence of this possibility includes the satellite's salt-rich particles having an "ocean-like" composition that indicates most of Enceladus's expelled [[ice]] comes from the evaporation of liquid salt water.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-06-strongest-evidence-icy-saturn-moon.html |title=Strongest evidence yet indicates Enceladus hiding saltwater ocean |publisher=Physorg |date=22 June 2011 |access-date=19 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111019155718/http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-06-strongest-evidence-icy-saturn-moon.html |archive-date=19 October 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/saturns-moon-enceladus-shows-evidence-of-an-ocean-beneath-its-surface/2011/06/22/AGWYaPgH_story.html |title=Saturn′s moon Enceladus shows evidence of an ocean beneath its surface |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |last=Kaufman |first=Marc |date=22 June 2011 |access-date=19 July 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121112193955/http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/saturns-moon-enceladus-shows-evidence-of-an-ocean-beneath-its-surface/2011/06/22/AGWYaPgH_story.html |archive-date=12 November 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/whycassini/cassini20110622.html |title=Cassini Captures Ocean-Like Spray at Saturn Moon |publisher=NASA |display-authors=1 |author=Greicius, Tony |author2=Dunbar, Brian |date=22 June 2011 |access-date=17 September 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110914203739/http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/cassini/whycassini/cassini20110622.html |archive-date=14 September 2011 |url-status=live }}
</ref> A 2015 flyby by ''Cassini'' through a plume on Enceladus found most of the ingredients to sustain life forms that live by [[methanogenesis]].<ref name="nasa20170413">{{cite web |url=https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-missions-provide-new-insights-into-ocean-worlds-in-our-solar-system |title=NASA Missions Provide New Insights into 'Ocean Worlds' in Our Solar System |first1=Felicia |last1=Chou |first2=Preston |last2=Dyches |first3=Donna |last3=Weaver |first4=Ray |last4=Villard |publisher=NASA |date=13 April 2017 |access-date=20 April 2017 |archive-date=20 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170420143202/https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-missions-provide-new-insights-into-ocean-worlds-in-our-solar-system/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In April 2014, NASA scientists reported the possible beginning of a new moon within the [[Rings of Saturn#A Ring|A Ring]], which was imaged by ''Cassini'' on 15 April 2013.<ref name="NASA-20140414a">{{cite web |display-authors=1 |last1=Platt |first1=Jane |last2=Brown |first2=Dwayne |title=NASA Cassini Images May Reveal Birth of a Saturn Moon |url=http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2014-112 |date=14 April 2014 |work=NASA |access-date=14 April 2014 |archive-date=10 April 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190410120305/https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2014-112 |url-status=live }}</ref>