Saturn's moons in fiction

Saturn and its moons

Several of Saturn's natural satellites have figured prominently in works of science fiction.

Saturnian system

Some works of fiction refer to several of Saturn's moons, or to no specific moon.

Janus

Janus is a small inner moon of Saturn notable for having an orbit nearly identical to the orbit of the moon Epimetheus; the two swap orbital positions every four years.

Mimas

Mimas is a small, icy moon orbiting close to Saturn, notable for being scarred by Herschel crater, whose diameter is very wide compared to the total circumference of the moon.

Enceladus

Enceladus is a small, icy moon orbiting close to Saturn, notable for its extremely bright surface and the geyser-like plumes of ice and water vapor that erupt from its southern polar region. It is the source of material for Saturn's E Ring.

Tethys

Tethys is a medium-sized icy moon orbiting close to Saturn, very similar to Dione.

Dione

Dione is a medium-sized icy moon orbiting close to Saturn

Rhea

Rhea is the second-largest moon of Saturn.

Titan

Main article: Titan in fiction

Titan is the largest moon of Saturn. Its substantial atmosphere makes it the most Earth-like moon in the Solar System and hence a popular science fiction setting.

Hyperion

Hyperion is the largest irregularly-shaped moon of Saturn, orbiting between Titan and Iapetus.

Iapetus

Iapetus is a large moon orbiting further from Saturn than any of its other large satellites. Half of its surface is very bright while the other half is extremely dark. Investigations since 2004 have also noted its irregular shape, immense impact basins, and a high mountainous ridge on the equator.

Phoebe

Phoebe is a retrograde orbiting moon in the outer Saturn system. It is the largest of the Saturnian irregular moons.

Notes

  1. Martinez, Michael J. (August 2013). The Deadalus Incident. New York: Night Shade Books. ISBN 978-1597804721.
  2. Martinez, Michael J. (May 2014). The Enceladus Incident. New York: Night Shade Books. ISBN 978-1597805049.
  3. Arthur C. Clarke, Introduction to 2010: Odyssey Two (1984)