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Saturn's natural satellites
From TheBestLinks.com
 The Saturnian System (photographic montage) Saturn has a large number of natural satellites, 30 of which have names; the precise figure is uncertain as there are many objects in orbit around the planet with a wide range of sizes. A recent survey starting in late 2000 found another 12 moons in peculiar orbits which suggests that they are fragments of larger bodies captured by Saturn's gravitational pull. (Nature vol. 412, p.163-166)
The Cassini-Huygens mission has increased this number by 2 as of August, 2004, with two other unconfirmed moons reported on September 9, 2004 (Discovery News) (http://dsc.discovery.com/news/afp/20040906/saturn.html).
The spurious satellite Themis, supposedly discovered in 1905, does not exist.
| Name
| Diameter (km)
| Mass (kg)
| Mean orbital
radius (km)
| Orbital period
| Position
| Disc.
|
| Pan
| 19
| 2.7×1015
| 133,583
| 0.575 days
| in Encke Division
| 1990
|
| Atlas
| 30 (40 × 20)
| Unknown
| 137,670
| 0.6019 days
| outer A Ring shepherd
| 1980
|
| Prometheus
| 91 (145 × 85 × 62)
| 2.70×1017
| 139,350
| 0.6130 days
| inner F Ring shepherd
| 1980
|
| S/2004 S 4*
| 3-5
| Unknown
| Unknown
| Unknown
| inner F Ring shepherd (?)
| 2004
|
| S/2004 S 3*
| 3-5
| Unknown
| 141,000
| Unknown
| outer F Ring shepherd (?)
| 2004
|
| Pandora
| 84 (114 × 84 × 62)
| 2.20×1017
| 141,700
| 0.6285 days
| outer F Ring shepherd
| 1980
|
| Epimetheus
| 115 (144 × 108 × 98)
| 5.60×1017
| 151,422
| 0.6942 days
| co-orbitals
| 1980
|
| Janus
| 178 (196 × 192 × 150)
| 2.01×1018
| 151,472
| 0.6945 days
| 1966
|
| Mimas
| 397
| 3.80×1019
| 185,520
| 0.942422 days
|
| 1789
|
| S/2004 S 1*
| 3
| Unknown
| 194,000
| 1.01 days
|
| 2004
|
| S/2004 S 2*
| 4
| Unknown
| 211,000
| 1.14 days
|
| 2004
|
| Enceladus
| 499
| 7.30×1019
| 238,020
| 1.370218 days
| In the thick of E ring
| 1789
|
| Telesto
| 29 (34 × 28 × 36)
| Unknown
| 294,660
| 1.887802 days
| leading Tethys trojan
| 1980
|
| Tethys
| 1060
| 6.22×1020
| 294,660
| 1.887802 days
|
| 1684
|
| Calypso
| 26 (34 × 22 × 22)
| Unknown
| 294,660
| 1.887802 days
| trailing Tethys trojan
| 1980
|
| Dione
| 1118
| 1.05×1021
| 377,400
| 2.736915 days
|
| 1684
|
| Helene
| 33 (36 × 32 × 30)
| Unknown
| 377,400
| 2.736915 days
| trailing Dione trojan
| 1980
|
| Rhea
| 1528
| 2.49×1021
| 527,040
| 4.5175 days
|
| 1672
|
| Titan
| 5151
| 1.35×1023
| 1,221,850
| 15.94542 days
|
| 1655
|
| Hyperion
| 286 (410 × 260 × 220)
| 1.77×1019
| 1,481,100
| 21.27661 days
|
| 1848
|
| Iapetus
| 1460
| 1.88×1021
| 3,561,300
| 79.33018 days
|
| 1671
|
| Kiviuq
| 16
| Unknown
| 11,365,000
| 449.2 days
| Inuit Group
| 2000
|
| Ijiraq
| 12
| Unknown
| 11,442,000
| 451.5 days
| Inuit Group
| 2000
|
| Phoebe
| 220
| 4.00×1018
| 12,944,300
| -548.2 days**
| Norse Group
| 1899
|
| Paaliaq
| 22
| Unknown
| 15,199,000
| 686.9 days
| Inuit Group
| 2000
|
| Skathi
| 8
| Unknown
| 15,647,000
| -728.9 days**
| Norse Group
| 2000
|
| Albiorix
| 32
| Unknown
| 16,404,000
| 783.5 days
| Gallic Group
| 2000
|
| Erriapo
| 10
| Unknown
| 17,616,000
| 871.9 days
| Gallic Group
| 2000
|
| Siarnaq
| 40
| Unknown
| 18,160,000
| 893.1 days
| Inuit Group
| 2000
|
| Tarvos
| 15
| Unknown
| 18,247,000
| 925.6 days
| Gallic Group
| 2000
|
| S/2003 S 1*
| 7
| Unknown
| 18,719,000
| -956.2 days**
|
| 2003
|
| Mundilfari
| 7
| Unknown
| 18,722,000
| -951.4 days**
| Norse Group
| 2000
|
| Suttungr
| 7
| Unknown
| 19,463,000
| -1016.3 days**
| Norse Group
| 2000
|
| Thrymr
| 7
| Unknown
| 20,382,000
| -1086.9 days**
| Norse Group
| 2000
|
| Ymir
| 18
| Unknown
| 23,096,000
| -1312.4 days**
| Norse Group
| 2000
|
* Awaiting confirmation and naming
** negative orbital periods indicate a retrograde orbit around Saturn (opposite to the planet's rotation)
Naming notes
Some asteroids share the same names as moons of Saturn: 55 Pandora, 106 Dione, 577 Rhea, 1809 Prometheus, 1810 Epimetheus, 4450 Pan.
See also
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