Aster › Space program › Pan
Pan
Position on the route: 48/130 · level needed 127 · journey (Mk0 engine) 24.6 h
By the numbers
| Diameter | ≈ 35 km |
|---|---|
| Year | 13.8 hours |
| Distance | 133,584 km |
| Found | 1990, Showalter |
The story
Pan is a small ‘shepherd’ moon circling inside the Encke Gap of Saturn’s A ring. In 1990 Mark Showalter analysed ripples in Voyager images, predicted where it must be, and found it. Its gravity keeps the gap clear and sculpts the ring’s wave patterns.
Cassini’s 2017 pass was a surprise: a skirt of ring ice has built up on its equator and the whole body looks like a ravioli or a flying saucer. It was clear that the moon slowly sweeps up and stores ring material.
Missions
- Voyager (1980–81): ring data
- Cassini (2017): a close flyby
Colony note
Inside the ring; a high collision risk. Observation only.
What probes bring back
- A ‘shepherd’ moon that keeps the Encke Gap clear; Cassini’s 2017 images showed it shaped like a ravioli (or a flying saucer).
- About 35 km; a skirt of ring material has built up along its equator.