Methone (moon)
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| Discovery | |
| Discovered by | Cassini Imaging Science Team |
| Discovered on | 1 June 2004 |
| Orbital characteristics [1] | |
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| Semimajor axis | 194,440 ± 20 km |
| Eccentricity | 0.0001 |
| Orbital period | 1.009573975 d |
| Inclination (to Saturn's equator) |
0.007 ± 0.003° |
| Is a satellite of | Saturn |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mean diameter | ≈ 3 km |
| Mass | 0.7 − 3 ×1013 kg[2] |
| Mean density | unknown |
| Surface gravity | unknown |
| Rotation period | synchronous |
| Axial tilt | unknown |
| Albedo | unknown |
| Atmosphere | none |
Methone (me-thoe'-nee, IPA: [məˈθoʊni], Greek Μεθωνη) is a very small natural satellite of Saturn lying between the orbits of Mimas and Enceladus.
It was discovered by Sébastien Charnoz, as part of the Cassini Imaging team led by Carolyn C. Porco in 2004, and given the temporary designation S/2004 S 1. Methone is also named Saturn XXXII.
Methone is visibly affected by a perturbing mean longitude resonance with the much larger Mimas. This causes its osculating orbital elements to vary with an amplitude of about 20 km in semi-major axis, and 5° in longitude on a timescale of about 450 days. Eccentricity also varies on different timescales between 0.0011 and 0.0037, and inclination between about 0.003° and 0.020° [1].
The name Methone was approved by the IAU Working Group on Planetary System Nomenclature on January 21, 2005. It should be officially approved at the IAU General Assembly in 2006. Methone was one of the Alkyonides, the seven beautiful daughters of the Giant Alkyoneus.
[edit] External links
- IAU Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature
- IAUC 8389 - discovery of S/2004 S 1 (Methone)
- IAUC 8471 - naming of Methone (January 21, 2005)
[edit] References
- ^ a b J.N. Spitale et al (2006). "The orbits of Saturn's small satellites derived from combined historic and Cassini imaging observations". The Astronomical Journal 132: 692.
- ^ Based on density 0.5 - 2 g/cm³
- C.C. Porco et al (2005). "Cassini Imaging Science: Initial Results on Saturn's Rings and Small Satellites". Science 307 (5713): 1226-1236. (February 25, 2005; subscription required)
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Generally listed in increasing distance from Saturn
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| Ring shepherds | Pan · Daphnis · Atlas · Prometheus · S/2004 S 6? · S/2004 S 4? · S/2004 S 3? · Pandora |
| Co-orbitals | Epimetheus · Janus |
| Inner large and Trojan | Mimas · Methone · Pallene · Enceladus · Tethys (trojans Telesto, Calypso) · Dione (trojans Helene, Polydeuces) |
| Outer large | Rhea · Titan · Hyperion · Iapetus |
| Inuit group | Kiviuq · Ijiraq · Paaliaq · Siarnaq |
| Norse group | Phoebe · Skathi · Skoll · S/2004 S 13 · S/2006 S 4 · Hyrokkin · Mundilfari · S/2006 S 6 · S/2006 S 1 · S/2004 S 17 · Narvi · Bergelmir · Aegir · Suttungr · S/2004 S 12 · Bestla · Farbauti · Hati · S/2004 S 7 · Thrymr · S/2006 S 3 · Surtur · Kari · Fenrir · Ymir · Loge · Fornjot |
| Gallic group | Albiorix · Bebhionn · Erriapo · Tarvos |
