Astronomy Picture of the Day

   [1]Discover 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.

                               2026 August 11
    [2]See Explanation. Clicking on the picture will download the highest
                        resolution version available.

                             Six Moons of Saturn
             Image Credit & [3]Copyright: [4]Alexandre Trentini

   Explanation: [5]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 more [6]than any other planet of 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 and [7]grouped in tilted outer orbits. Six of its largest
   satellites can be seen here, though, in this sharp telescopic
   [8]Saturnian family portrait taken on August 5. Larger than Earth's
   Moon and even slightly larger than inner planet Mercury, [9]Titan, with
   a diameter of 5,150 kilometers, is at lower right. You can also spot
   icy major moons [10]Mimas, [11]Tethys, [12]Enceladus, [13]Dione, and
   [14]Rhea in the frame. Saturn's first known natural satellite, Titan
   was [15]discovered in 1655 by Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens.
   During the space age Voyager and [16]Cassini discoveries have added to
   the [17]swelling ranks of Saturnian moons.

               NASA Stream: [18]August 12 Total Solar Eclipse.
                     Tomorrow's picture: pixels in space
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      Authors & editors: [30]Robert Nemiroff ([31]MTU) & Jerry Bonnell
                                 ([32]UMCP)
          NASA Official: Amber Straughn [33]Specific rights apply.
            [34]NASA Web Privacy, [35]Accessibility, [36]Notices;
                A service of: [37]ASD at [38]NASA / [39]GSFC,
                         [40]NASA Science Activation
                           & [41]Michigan Tech. U.

References

   1. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
   2. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/image/2608/2026-08-05-0609_7-SaturnSystem_c.jpg
   3. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
   4. https://app.astrobin.com/u/Trentini
   5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moons_of_Saturn
   6. http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/?sat_discovery
   7. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moons_of_Saturn#Irregular_moons
   8. https://app.astrobin.com/i/ztmhhp
   9. http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/planets/profile.cfm?Object=Sat_Titan
  10. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap100511.html
  11. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap091208.html
  12. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap120208.html
  13. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap070801.html
  14. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap080513.html
  15. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap050325.html
  16. https://science.nasa.gov/mission/cassini/science/moons/
  17. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2025PSJ.....6..283A/abstract
  18. https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/total-solar-eclipse-on-august-12-2026/
  19. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260810.html
  20. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/archivepix.html
  21. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/apsubmit2015.html
  22. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/aptree.html
  23. https://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/apod/apod_search
  24. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/calendar/allyears.html
  25. https://apod.com/feed.rss
  26. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/edlinks.html
  27. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html
  28. https://asterisk.apod.com/discuss_apod.php?date=260811
  29. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap260812.html
  30. https://www.mtu.edu/physics/department/faculty/nemiroff/
  31. https://www.mtu.edu/physics
  32. https://www.astro.umd.edu/
  33. https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/lib/about_apod.html#srapply
  34. https://www.nasa.gov/about/highlights/HP_Privacy.html
  35. https://www.nasa.gov/general/accessibility/
  36. https://www.nasa.gov/privacy/
  37. https://astrophysics.gsfc.nasa.gov/
  38. https://www.nasa.gov/
  39. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/goddard/
  40. https://science.nasa.gov/learners
  41. http://www.mtu.edu/