Discoverer – Richard Terrile, Voyager 1.

Behind the name – Ātlās (the Titan carrying the heaven on his back).

Examples are Metis of Jupiter, Cordelia and Ophelia of Uranus, and Galatea of Neptune.Ītlas Moon: Facts and Figures All About the Name

The other giant planets in the solar system, Jupiter, Uranus, and Neptune, keep their rings sharp with the help of their inner moons as well. Ring shepherds are not only found in the system of Saturn. Though they are not as close to the rings as the others, the co-orbital moons Janus and Epimetheus also function as herder moons. The other two shepherds, Prometheus and Pandora, maintain the F ring. Pan and Daphnis are within the Encke gap and the Keeler Gap respectively while Atlas lies close to the edge of the A ring. Saturn has three moons shepherding the A ring. These moons are also called herder moons and watcher moons. In a way, shepherd moons “herd” the ring materials of Saturn. That sort of “kick” sculpts the edge of Saturn’s rings or keeps the ring gaps open. Those materials are deflected by the gravitational influence of the moons, keeping them in place. A shepherd moon comes to the rescue when that happens.Īs shepherd satellites orbit their parent planet, they come across loose ring materials along the way. Because of the movement, particles can go off track and diverge from the ring. Saturn’s rings move and orbit around it at different speeds. Remember that planetary rings are made up of dust, ice, and all kinds of debris suspended in space. Ring shepherd moons help keep the shape of a planet’s ring.

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