There are two mysteries about the moon.
The astronomer noticed that the planet appeared to have ears when he looked at it. They turned out to be the most famous rings in the world. Astronomers have been perplexed by how and when these rings formed.
There is a 27 degree tilt to one side of the moon. According to researchers, the tilt is too large to have been caused by a gas giant or a collision with the planet.
A study published in the journal Science suggests that the formation of the rings and tilt of the planet may have happened 160 million years ago. The moon was torn apart when it got too close to the gas giant.
The models are based on data from the final stage of the NASA's Cassini mission, which ended in the planet's atmosphere.
The planetary system has 83 moons. Iapetus is the third-largest moon in the universe.
The remains plunged into the atmosphere of the planet, leaving a ring of debris in its wake.
Jack Wisdom, lead author and professor of planetary sciences at MIT, said in a statement that the satellite was long inactive and suddenly became active.
The tilt of the moon may have been caused by interactions with Neptune. Researchers used simulations to figure out how much force was required to tip the planet on its side. It was found that something changed about 160 million years ago, which took away the influence of Neptune.
Wisdom said that they went looking for ways to get Neptune out of its resonance. Two bodies realign after a number of times. They theorize that an ancient moon, called Chrysalis, could have keptSaturn under Neptune's influence until it broke.
More data is needed to see if the theory works. Wisdom said that it will have to be examined by others. He said that the small moon appeared to be a butterfly in the chrysalis phase, with its rings emerging once it was torn apart.
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