Saturn

Saturn, sixth planet from the sun, is the second largest planet in our solar system.

Related Topics: Jupiter, Neptune, Uranus, Pluto 

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In these detailed infrared images of Saturn's icy moon Enceladus, reddish areas indicate fresh ice that has been deposited on the surface.

Saturn's ocean moon Enceladus has fresh ice in unexpected place

By Elizabeth Howell published

Saturn's geyser-spewing moon Enceladus may be even more active than scientists had thought.

Researchers have proposed sending a submarine to explore the huge Saturn moon Titan's frigid seas of methane and ethane.

Submarine could explore seas of huge Saturn moon Titan

By Mike Wall published

Researchers have been crafting a concept mission that would send a submarine to Saturn's huge moon Titan, which sports lakes and seas of liquid hydrocarbons on its frigid surface.

The Hubble Space Telescope captured this image of Saturn during its northern hemisphere summer on July 4, 2020.

Behold! Saturn has no summertime blues in this amazing Hubble telescope photo

By Meghan Bartels published

Can't get enough of summer? Saturn's northern hemisphere is also in the throes of the season, and the Hubble Space Telescope has captured a stunning new photo of the ringed planet to celebrate.

A close-up view of Jupiter, taken one week after the planet reached opposition in June 2019, reveals detailed cloud bands — and Jupiter's moon Europa!

See Jupiter and Saturn at their brightest this week

By Joe Rao published

This week, Jupiter and Saturn appear at their very best, with Jupiter having just arrived at opposition July 14 and Saturn to reach its own opposition July 20.

The full moon, Jupiter and Saturn as seen on the evening of July 5, 2020 from Seattle.

Celestial fireworks: See Jupiter and Saturn with a 'Buck Moon' lunar eclipse this Fourth of July weekend

By Joe Rao published

Nature has its own fireworks in store this Independence Day weekend with a stunning full moon ornamented by two shining planets.

This false-color image from NASA's Cassini spacecraft shows Titan in ultraviolet and infrared wavelengths.

Mystery solved: Odd bright patches on Saturn moon Titan are dry lake beds

By Mike Wall published

The features had puzzled scientists for more than a decade.

NASA's Cassini spacecraft captured this natural-color view of Saturn's north pole at a distance of approximately 611,000 miles (984,000 kilometers) away, on July 22, 2013.

Subsurface vortexes could be behind Saturn's mysterious hexagon

By Doris Elin Urrutia published

Two researchers investigated the dynamics of Saturn's churning atmosphere to figure out what sorts of planetary fluid dynamics are creating its mystifying hexagon.

Saturn and its moon Titan, as seen by NASA's Cassini spacecraft.

Titan is drifting away from Saturn 100 times faster than we thought

By Chelsea Gohd published

Saturn's moon Titan is zooming away from its ringed parent 100 times faster than scientists expected.

Jupiter, Saturn and the crescent moon will form a triangle in the night sky overnight on June 8-9, 2020. The trio will rise in the southeast shortly before midnight and fade from view when dawn breaks.

Jupiter and Saturn form a triangle with the moon tonight. Here's how to see it.

By Elizabeth Howell published

Look up late tonight (June 8) and early tomorrow morning to see Jupiter and Saturn form a triangle with Earth's moon.

This Cassini image reveals the northern hemisphere of Saturn as it nears its summer solstice.

The rings of Saturn are 'ringing' like a bell

By Nola Taylor Tillman published

Saturn’s ringing rings are revealing insights about the planet’s interior.

This sky map shows Jupiter and Saturn on the morning of their close approach on May 18, 2020, as seen from New York City at 2:30 a.m. local time.

See Jupiter and Saturn snuggle up in the predawn sky this week

By Elizabeth Howell published

The two giant planets of the solar system, Jupiter and Saturn, will snuggle up in the predawn sky this week, offering spectacular views for night owls and early risers.

A high-res, colorful view of Saturn's Hexagon.

Saturn's weird hexagon has 'sandwich-like' layers of hazy mists

By Chelsea Gohd published

There's an extensive system of haze layers in the bizarre hexagon on Saturn, a new study has found.

Data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft is still helping scientists to explore Saturn, years after the spacecraft "died."

Dead Cassini spacecraft could solve mystery of Saturn's hot atmosphere

By Elizabeth Howell published

A spacecraft that died in 2017 is still providing insights about Saturn, the planet it studied up close for 13 years.

Titan's surface is difficult to see through the thick haze of its atmosphere. Scientists suspect the moon may have dust devils, just like Earth and Mars.

Titan twisters? 'Dust devils' may be swirling on Saturn's largest moon

By Chelsea Gohd published

Dust devils could be swirling around on Saturn's huge moon Titan, a new study reports.

Mars, Jupiter and Saturn will all dance near the moon this week.

You can see the moon shine with Jupiter, Saturn and Mars before dawn this week. Here's how.

By Joe Rao published

The predawn hours this week will sparkle as Jupiter, Saturn and Mars dance around the moon on consecutive mornings.

Saturn's icy moon Enceladus shoots plumes of ocean water out into space, making the world a tempting target for the search for life.

Next stop, Enceladus? Scientists make their case for a mission to Saturn's icy moon

By Meghan Bartels published

NASA is headed to Saturn's largest moon, Titan — but some scientists hope to convince the agency to send another mission to Titan's neighbor, Enceladus, to look for signs of life.

NASA's Cassini spacecraft captured this view of Saturn's hazy moon Titan in January 2013, when it was about 895,000 miles (1.44 million kilometers) from the big moon.

Future space telescopes may probe Titan-like exoplanets

By Nola Taylor Tillman published

Planets like Saturn's moon Titan, one of the most potentially habitable places in the solar system, could reveal their secrets to future telescopes.

See Saturn, Mars and Jupiter line up in the southeast sky before dawn on Thursday (March 26).

See Jupiter, Mars and Saturn in Thursday's dawn sky

By Joe Rao published

Early risers this month have been treated to an unusual celestial "pas de trois," as the three brightest superior planets have been changing positions relative to each other in the dawn twilight.

An image from NASA's Cassini probe, taken Sept. 23, 2006, shows a pair of hydrocarbon lakes on Titan.

Saturn's weird, Earth-like moon just failed a key test for alien life

By Rafi Letzter published

Life on Earth likely began with the bubble-like membranes that surround our cells. Similar membranes probably wouldn't form on Titan, according to quantum mechanics.

Artist's illustration of a black hole.

The Decade in Astronomy: These Space Discoveries Shaped the 2010s

By Sarah Wells published

As the 2010s come to a close, it's time to revisit how some of the biggest space science stories shaped the decade.