Enceladus
Moon of Saturn
A small, brilliant white moon of Saturn that sprays jets of icy water from an ocean beneath its surface.
Key facts
- Orbits
- Saturn
- Diameter
- About 504 km
- One orbit
- 1.4 days
- Discovered
- 1789, by William Herschel
- Notable for
- Icy jets from an underground ocean
About the Enceladus
How to recognise it
Enceladus is bright white, with long blue-tinged cracks, nicknamed tiger stripes, near its south pole. It is the most reflective body in the Solar System.
What makes it special
In 2005 the Cassini spacecraft found jets of icy particles and gas shooting from the south pole. They are fed by a global ocean under the ice. William Herschel discovered Enceladus in 1789.
Sources
Facts checked: 29 October 2026
