Moon of Saturn
Epimetheus
Epimetheus is a moon. It orbits Saturn. It is about 116 km across – about as wide as Switzerland. Epimetheus is Janus's “orbital partner”: when the two come close, gravity nudges each onto the other's orbit.
Fact file
- Type
- Moon of Saturn
- Diameter
- 116 km
- Distance from Saturn
- 151,410 km
- Orbital period
- 0.7 days
- Temperature
- -195 °C on average
Epimetheus orbits Saturn.
Interesting facts about Epimetheus
- Epimetheus is Janus's “orbital partner”: when the two come close, gravity nudges each onto the other's orbit.
- They come within about 10,000 km of each other but never collide.
- For a long time the two were thought to be a single moon.
Frequently asked questions about Epimetheus
How big is Epimetheus?
Epimetheus has a diameter of 116 km. That is about 3.3% of the diameter of our Moon.
How far is Epimetheus from Saturn?
Epimetheus orbits Saturn at an average distance of 151,410 km.
How long does Epimetheus take to orbit Saturn?
Epimetheus orbits Saturn once every 16.7 hours.
How cold or warm is it on Epimetheus?
On Epimetheus the average temperature is −195 °C.
Formation
Probably a fragment of an earlier, larger moon – together with Janus.
Atmosphere
No atmosphere.
Exploration
Only in 1978 did astronomers realise from the 1966 data that there are two moons on almost the same orbit. Cassini photographed both up close.
Compared with Earth
Around 116 km across.
Other moons of Saturn
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