Aegaeon

Aegaeon is a small natural satellite of Saturn. It was identified in Cassini spacecraft images collected during 2008 and was designated S/2008 S 1 before receiving its name. The IAU adopted the name Aegaeon, after a figure in Greek mythology associated with the sea, in 2013.

It orbits Saturn within the G Ring, and is embedded in the ring's material. Aegaeon is among the smallest known moons of Saturn, with estimates placing its diameter at under a kilometer. Its surface is likely dominated by water ice, as is common among Saturnian moons. The moon's gravity is sufficient to sculpt the surrounding ring particles, helping confine the G Ring and influence its structure.

Because of its small size, Aegaeon is challenging to observe directly except in Cassini data; its discovery helped scientists study moon-ring interactions and the processes that shape Saturn's rings. The moon's orbit is near the inner edge of the G Ring, making it a useful probe of the dynamics of embedded moonlets and resonant interactions with ring particles.