Moon of Saturn
Prometheus
Prometheus is a moon. It orbits Saturn. It is about 86 km across – about as wide as Switzerland. Together with Pandora, Prometheus is a “shepherd” of Saturn's narrow F ring.
Fact file
- Type
- Moon of Saturn
- Diameter
- 86 km
- Distance from Saturn
- 139,380 km
- Orbital period
- 0.6 days
- Temperature
- -195 °C on average
Prometheus orbits Saturn.
Interesting facts about Prometheus
- Together with Pandora, Prometheus is a “shepherd” of Saturn's narrow F ring.
- On every orbit its gravity pulls fine streamers of material out of the F ring – Cassini filmed it.
- It is elongated (136 x 79 x 59 km) and very porous.
Frequently asked questions about Prometheus
How big is Prometheus?
Prometheus has a diameter of 86 km. That is about 2.5% of the diameter of our Moon.
How far is Prometheus from Saturn?
Prometheus orbits Saturn at an average distance of 139,380 km.
How long does Prometheus take to orbit Saturn?
Prometheus orbits Saturn once every 14.7 hours.
How cold or warm is it on Prometheus?
On Prometheus the average temperature is −195 °C.
Formation
Probably a loosely clumped pile of ice, similar to Pan and Pandora.
Atmosphere
No atmosphere.
Exploration
Discovered in 1980 in images from Voyager 1, later photographed up close by Cassini.
Compared with Earth
Prometheus takes just under 15 hours to orbit Saturn.
Other moons of Saturn
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