Overview
Atlas is a small inner moon of Saturn, orbiting inside Saturn's ring system in a gap between the A and F rings. It has a relatively spherical centre surrounded by a large equatorial ridge. It is officialy named after Atlas of Greek mythology.
Physical characteristics
Atlas has a small size at around 40.8 × 35.4 × 18.6 km in dimensions. It orbits 137,670 km away from Saturn, taking 14.4 hours to complete an orbit around its planet. It has a distinctive flying saucer shape created by a large equatorial ridge.
Appearance
Atlas has a roughly spherical centre surrounded by a large, smooth equatorial ridge. The most likely explanation for this structure is that ring material swept up by Atlas accumulates on it, with a strong preference for the equator due to the ring's thinness.
Gallery
