Astronomy:Fornjot (moon)
Fornjot imaged by the Cassini spacecraft in March 2014 | |
Discovery | |
---|---|
Discovered by | Scott S. Sheppard David C. Jewitt Jan T. Kleyna Brian G. Marsden |
Discovery date | December 2004 |
Designations | |
Designation | Saturn XLII |
Pronunciation | /ˈfɔːrnjoʊt/ Icelandic: [ˈfɔ(r)tnˌjouːt] |
Named after | Fornjót |
S/2004 S 8 | |
Orbital characteristics [1] | |
25108000 km | |
Eccentricity | 0.206 |
Orbital period | −1490.9 days |
Inclination | 170.4° |
Satellite of | Saturn |
Group | Norse group |
Physical characteristics | |
Mean diameter | 6+50% −30% km[2] |
Rotation period | (6.9 or 9.5) ± 0.4? h[2] |
Apparent magnitude | 24.6 |
Fornjot /ˈfɔːrnjoʊt/ or Saturn XLII is the outermost named moon of Saturn. Its discovery was announced by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, Jan Kleyna, and Brian G. Marsden on 4 May 2005 from observations taken between 12 December 2004, and 11 March 2005. It had the largest semi-major axis among all the known moons of Saturn[3] until the recovery of Saturn LVIII in 2019.[1]
It is about 6 kilometres in diameter, and it orbits Saturn at an average distance of 23,609 Mm in 1491 d at an inclination of 168° to the ecliptic (160° to Saturn's equator) in a retrograde direction and with an eccentricity of 0.186. It is ambiguous whether the rotation period is 6.9 or 9.5±0.4 hours, but it is known to show very little variation in brightness and is probably very round in shape. It was also the faintest moon that was measured by Cassini–Huygens.[2][3]
Fornjot was named after Fornjót, a giant in Norse mythology.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 S.S. Sheppard (2019), Moons of Saturn, Carnegie Science, on line
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Denk, T.; Mottola, S. (2019). "Cassini Observations of Saturn's Irregular Moons". 50th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. Lunar and Planetary Institute. https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2019/pdf/2654.pdf.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Denk, T.; Mottola, S.; Bottke, W. F.; Hamilton, D. P. (2018). "The Irregular Satellites of Saturn". Enceladus and the Icy Moons of Saturn. 322. University of Arizona Press. pp. 409–434. doi:10.2458/azu_uapress_9780816537075-ch020. ISBN 9780816537488. Bibcode: 2018eims.book..409D. https://tilmanndenk.de/wp-content/uploads/DenkEtAl2018_IrregularMoons.pdf.
- Institute for Astronomy Saturn Satellite Data
- Jewitt's New Satellites of Saturn page
- IAUC 8523: New Satellites of Saturn[yes|permanent dead link|dead link}}] May 4, 2005 (discovery)
- MPEC 2005-J13: Twelve New Satellites of Saturn May 3, 2005 (discovery and ephemeris)
- IAUC 8826: Satellites of Jupiter and Saturn[yes|permanent dead link|dead link}}] April 5, 2007 (naming the moon)
Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fornjot (moon).
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