This moon of Saturn might be a result of a violent collision that changed the planet forever

The origin of several moons in the solar system is still shrouded in mystery. But recently, a study was conducted and astronomers believe that Titan, one of Saturn's 274 moons, was formed as a result of a violent collision.

Of the many moons of this planet, some are believed to have been formed 4.5 billion years ago, at the same time as Saturn, while others are small asteroids that were captured by its gravitational force. But the Cassini-Huygens probe revealed that this gas giant used to have a more concentrated mass towards its center. And according to scientists, this is due to an ancient moon that used to orbit this planet.

By conducting simulations, the team determined that Titan was formed as a result of a collision between this larger moon and a smaller celestial object several hundred million years ago. And that's not all, because according to scientists, Hyperion suffered the same fate at the same time.

Simulations have also been carried out in respect to Saturn's famous rings, which fascinate thousands of people, with results indicating the rings might be a result of multiple collisions between ancient moons. Titan must be responsible for this phenomenon due to its eccentric orbit. In other words, Saturn's rings may have formed only a few hundred million years ago. But to validate these hypotheses, it will be necessary to wait for the Dragonfly mission, with the probe scheduled to land on Titan in 2034.