New Small Satellites Image: Flock of Moons

CICLOPS has released this newly processed view of three of Saturn's small, inner satellites: (from right to left) Pandora, Janus, and Prometheus. Each of these moons are considered "ring moons" for their influence on the orbital paths of Saturnian ring particles. Janus, the large moon in the center of this image, nearly shares and in fact swaps orbits every four years with a slightly smaller moon named Epimetheus. The next swap is scheduled for February 2006. The moons Pandora and Prometheus act as "shepards" to the the thin F ring, keeping ring particles in the ring.