Titan may have formed in a giant impact between ancient Saturn moons

Saturn’s Largest Moon Titan Might Have Been Forged in a Cosmic Collision

A new study, led by SETI Institute scientist Matija Ćuk, proposes an intriguing explanation for the formation of Saturn’s largest moon, Titan. According to the research, Titan may have originated from the collision and merger of two ancient moons in Saturn’s system. The study, available on the arXiv preprint server, sheds light on the violent and complex history of Titan’s formation and its role in shaping Saturn’s moons and rings. With insights…

Titan may have formed in a giant impact between ancient Saturn moons

Los Angeles CA (SPX) Feb 13, 2026 Recent modeling work suggests that Saturns largest moon, Titan, may be the product of a violent collision between two earlier moons rather than a relic left over from the systems formation. In this scenario, a large Proto Titan and a smaller Proto Hyperion merged in a giant impact that reshaped Titan, erased many of its impact craters, and helped set up the conditions that later produced Saturns