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Mimas appears like the Death Star

Solar System

Does Saturn's "Death Star" Moon Harbor an Ocean?

New evidence, based off of NASA's Cassini measurements of Mimas's orbit, suggests the icy "Death Star" moon might have a subsurface ocean.

Explore the Night with Bob King

Action-packed Sky: Saturn, Comet Nishimura, and More

September is Saturn's time to shine. We also check on Comet Nishimura — now at 5th magnitude and still brightening — and look forward to a dramatic asteroid occultation. Not to mention that Jupiter just took another hit.

Saturn moons and rings

Solar System

Lost Moon Could Solve Saturn’s Riddles

An icy moon torn apart in Saturn's gravitational field some 150 million years ago could explain why the planet's rings are so young and a host of other puzzles.

Iapetus transit single

Planets

See a Rare Transit of Iapetus on July 17–18

It's tiny. It's challenging. But you won't get the chance to see Iapetus transit the globe of Saturn again until 2037!

Saturn 2011 Cassini

Explore the Night with Bob King

Will Saturn Sprout Spots this Observing Season?

As Saturn returns to the morning sky, will this otherwise serene-looking planet experience another bout of severe weather? Keep your eyes peeled for white spots!

New model of Saturn's interior

Solar System

Saturn Has a Fuzzy Core, Too

New research reveals that Saturn, like Jupiter, has a “fuzzy” core that extends 60% of the way to its surface, a finding that is changing how astronomers think about giant planets.

Saturn's interior

Solar System

Helium Rain Inside Saturn Might Shape Its Magnetic Field

A thick inner layer of slowly falling helium blobs might help explain Saturn's almost perfectly aligned magnetic field.

Night Sky Sights

Jupiter and Saturn Embrace in Solstice Conjunction

Jupiter and Saturn fashion the Great Conjunction of 2020 when they pair up on December 21st, the winter solstice. That evening they'll be closest in nearly 400 years.

Jupiter and Saturn in conjunction

Conjunction

Jupiter and Saturn Have Historic Dusk Encounter

Don't miss the upcoming close conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn on December 21st!

Saturn's new moons

Solar System

Help Name Saturn’s 20 Newfound Moons

Astronomers have found 20 new moons circling Saturn — now you can help name them!

Explore the Night with Bob King

A Spoonful of Saturn to Sweeten the Night

Move over Jupiter, it's time for Saturn to shine! At opposition this week, the ringed planet is at its brightest and closest for the year.

Cassini Grand Finale

Solar System

Saturn Hasn’t Always Had Rings

Analyses of data from Cassini’s final days suggest the rings are a late addition and use them to solve a Saturnian mystery.

Saturn's moons

Solar System

Saturn's Moon Dione Has Some Weird Stripes

Long straight parallel lines on the satellite's surface could be droppings from Saturn's rings, one of the moons, or a passing comet, researchers suggest.

Cassini at Saturn

Solar System

Four Things We Now Know About Saturn

Cassini gave an epic final show, going where no space probe had gone before. Here are a few interesting things we learned from that finale.

Saturn's hexagon

Solar System

NASA's Cassini Sees Saturn's Towering Polar Hexagon

Cassini's legacy sheds more light on the strange mystery of Saturn's northern polar hexagon.

Celestial News & Events

See Saturn at Its Highest & Brightest This Week

Saturn arrives at opposition on June 27th, very close to the time of full Moon.

Storm on Saturn, Photo by Damian Peach

Explore the Night with Bob King

Big Scope Breakout: New Supernovae, Novae, Bright Spot on Saturn

The sky's been bursting with exploding stars this season. Plus there's a new storm on Saturn. What's a skywatcher to do? Haul out the scope!

Solar System

Cassini Is Gone: Its Legacy and the Future

After 13 years of orbiting the Saturn system, and 4.9 billion miles logged, the Cassini mission has ended, vaporized on re-entry into the ringed planet.

Celestial News & Events

Hello, Saturn! We're Glad You're Back

Saturn, considered by many the most beautiful sight in the sky, comes to opposition this week with its rings in full tilt. You won't want to miss it.

Daphnis

Astronomy in Space with David Dickinson

Cassini Spies Daphnis Making Waves

NASA's Cassini returns stunning new views of Daphnis and friends from its ring-grazing orbits.