Saturn’s Largest Moon, Titan, Formed From a Massive Collision, Research Suggests
New research indicates that Saturn’s largest moon, Titan, wasn’t gradually formed as previously believed, but is the result of a collision between two ancient moons. The findings, released by a research group at the SETI Institute in Mountain View, California, offer a potential explanation for Titan’s surprisingly low number of impact craters. This discovery provides valuable insight into the dynamic history of our solar system and the processes that shape planetary bodies.
According to the theory, a “Proto-Titan” – nearly the same size as the current Titan – collided with a smaller moon. The two objects then merged to create the Titan we know today. “Through this event, Titan would have disrupted some of the inner moons, causing more collisions, which some time later, perhaps 100 million years ago, led to the formation of the rings,” said lead researcher Matija Ćuk.
The collision may also have created Hyperion, the largest of Saturn’s non-spherical moons. Researchers suggest Hyperion could be a fragment from the Titan collision, or it may have formed later from debris orbiting Titan. More details on the research are available here.
Titan is an anomaly within the solar system, being roughly half the size of Earth and larger than Mercury. Its gravitational pull even causes Saturn to wobble and tilt. Currently, Titan is moving away from Saturn at a rate of 11 centimeters per year – faster than previously estimated – and could eventually be ejected from Saturn’s orbit entirely.
Recent discoveries have also revealed Saturn has a substantial number of smaller moons. As of March 12, 2025, astronomers had identified 128 new moons orbiting Saturn, bringing the total to 274. These newly discovered moons are believed to be fragments from larger objects created by past collisions, according to Dr. Edward Ashton of the Academia Sinica in Taiwan.
Further observations from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) continue to reveal new complexities in Saturn’s atmosphere, including “dark beads” within the planet’s auroras and unusual star patterns. These features are unlike anything previously observed on other worlds.
