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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 2009
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Meet Frank, Saturn's 60th Moon

Planet's latest addition sparks search for more

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(Newser) – Scientists have discovered Saturn’s 60th moon, and are hinting that more could exist. In May, cameras aboard the Cassini spacecraft captured the “extremely faint object,” which scientists have officially designated a moon and tentatively named Frank. Composed mostly of ice and rock, Frank is about a mile wide and orbits between two other Saturnian moons, Methone and Pallene.

Scientists say the close proximity between Frank and its Saturnian cousins suggests the existence of a network of more hidden moons. Before the Cassini mission’s launch in 1997, astronomers only knew about 18 of Saturn’s satellites and have since uncovered 42 more. Frank will receive a new, official name from the International Astronomical Union.

Saturn's newly discovered 60th moon, highlighted in red.
Saturn's newly discovered 60th moon, highlighted in red.   (NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute)
Saturn as photographed by the Hubble telescope. Today Saturn celebrates it's 60th mooniversary.
Saturn as photographed by the Hubble telescope. Today Saturn celebrates it's 60th mooniversary.   (NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute)
A montage of the Saturn system, with some of the closer moons in context.
A montage of the Saturn system, with some of the closer moons in context.   (NASA/JPL/Space Science Institute)
This image provided by NASA Thursday May 31, 2007 was taken as the Cassini spacecraft flew over the unlit side of Saturn rings capturing Saturn's glow. This striking false-color mosaic was created from 25 images taken by Cassini's visual and infrared mapping spectrometer over a period of 13 hours, and...
This image provided by NASA Thursday May 31, 2007 was taken as the Cassini spacecraft flew over the unlit side of Saturn rings capturing Saturn's glow. This striking false-color mosaic was created from...   (Associated Press)
This image provided by NASA Thursday May 31, 2007 was taken as the Cassini spacecraft flew over the unlit side of Saturn rings capturing Saturn's glow. This striking false-color mosaic was created from 25 images taken by Cassini's visual and infrared mapping spectrometer over a period of 13 hours, and...
This image provided by NASA Thursday May 31, 2007 was taken as the Cassini spacecraft flew over the unlit side of Saturn rings capturing Saturn's glow. This striking false-color mosaic was created from...   (Associated Press)
This view of Saturn taken by cameras aboard the Cassini spacecraft was released by NASA on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2007. Scientists from the California Institute of Technology said on Tuesday, May 8, 2007, that they now believe rotating storms known as eddies are driving Saturn's jet stream winds, not the...
This view of Saturn taken by cameras aboard the Cassini spacecraft was released by NASA on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2007. Scientists from the California Institute of Technology said on Tuesday, May 8, 2007,...   (Associated Press)
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