Amazingly, Janus and Epimetheus are on almost – but not quite – the same orbit around Saturn! Currently, Janus is a bit closer to Saturn than Epimetheus. I say “currently”, because every ...

Saturn’s moons Janus and Epimetheus run on orbits that differ in size by only 30 miles (50 km). This similarity results in a surprising interaction: The two moons swap orbits every 4 years.

Pandora guards the outside of the F ring, as Janus and Epimetheus orbit farther out, but still within the G ring. Mimas lies outside the G ring, and many more moons reside inside the wide E ring.

It has been hypothesized that Janus and Epimetheus were once one larger moon, one that broke apart in some long-ago collision. You may use this page to discuss moons or other astronomical bodies ...