Anthe’s ring arc

How a tiny moon makes a ring.

Published 2026-10-23

Faint material shares Anthe’s orbit.^[2]

Source

Micrometeoroid impacts blast material off Anthe, thought to be the source of the Anthe Ring Arc, first detected in June 2007.^[1]

Why an arc?

Moons in orbital resonances, such as Anthe, Methone and Aegaeon, keep their ejecta in the same resonance, so it forms an arc rather than a full ring like Pallene’s.^[6]

Shape

Anthe’s axis ratios suggest a similar shape to Methone.^[1]

Numbered citations link to the sources list on the Anthe overview page.