Anthe (moon)
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Discovery images of Anthe
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Discovery
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| Discovered by | Cassini Imaging Science Team |
| Discovery date | 2007 May 30 |
| Semi-major axis | 197,700 km |
| Eccentricity | 0.001 |
| Orbital period | 1.03650 d |
| Inclination | 0.1° to Saturn's equator |
| Satellite of | Saturn |
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Physical characteristics
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| Mean radius | ≈ 1 km |
| Mass | 5 ×1012 kg[2] |
| Mean density | unknown |
| Equatorial surface gravity | unknown |
| Rotation period | assumed synchronous |
| Axial tilt | unknown |
| Albedo | unknown |
Anthe (pronounced /ˈænθiː/ AN-thee,[3] or as Greek Άνθη) is a very small natural satellite of Saturn lying between the orbits of Mimas and Enceladus. It is also known as Saturn XLIX; its provisional designation was S/2007 S 4. It is named after one of the Alkyonides; the name means flowery. It is the 60th confirmed moon of Saturn.[4]
It was discovered by the Cassini Imaging Team in images taken on May 30, 2007.[1] Once the discovery was made, a search of older Cassini images revealed this small satellite in observations from as far back as June 2004. It was first announced on July 18, 2007.[1]
Anthe 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 on a timescale of about 2 Earth years. The close proximity to the orbits of Pallene and Methone suggests that these moons may form a dynamical family.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c C. Porco and the Cassini Imaging Team (2007-07-18). "S/ 2007 S 4". International Astronomical Union Circulars 8857 (subscription required).
- ^ assumed density of 1.2 g/cm³
- ^ This name is too new to appear in dictionaries, but the OED has the analogous rhodanthe /roʊˈdænθiː/.
- ^ Agle, D. C. (Jul. 19, 2007). Saturn Turns 60. JPL (Cassini-Huygens). Retrieved on 2007-07-19.
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