Collage of Saturn's Smaller Satellites

This family portrait shows the smaller satellites of Saturn as viewed by Voyager 2 during its swing through the Saturnian system. The following chart corresponds to this composite photograph (distance from the planet increases from left to right) and lists names, standard numerical designations and approximate dimensions (radii where indicated) in kilometers:

1980S26 Outer F-ring shepherd 120 X 100

1980S1 Leading co-orbital 220 X 160

1980S25 Trailing Tethys trojan radii: 25

1980S28 Outer A shepherd radii: 20

1980S27 Inner F-ring co-orbital 145 X 70

1980S3 Trailing Tethys trojan 140 X 100

1980S13 Leading Tethys trojan radii: 30

1980S6 Leading Dione trojan radii: 30

These images have been scaled to show the satellites in true relative sizes. This set of small objects ranges in size from small asteroidal scales to nearly the size of Saturn's moon Mimas. They are probably fragments of somewhat larger bodies broken up during the bombardment period that followed accretion of the Saturnian system. Scientists believe they may be mostly icy bodies with a mixture of meteorite rock. They are somewhat less reflective than the larger satellites, suggesting that thermal evolution of the larger moons "cleaned up" their icy surfaces. The Voyager project is managed for NASA by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.