Tarvos (moon)

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Tarvos - Saturn XXI
Discovery [1]
Discovered by B. J. Gladman, J. J. Kavelaars,
R. L. Allen, T. Rigg,
C. W. Hergenrother, S. M. Larson,
A. Doressoundiram and J. Romon[2][3]
Discovered September 23, 2000
Mean Orbital elements [4]
Epoch 2000 Feb. 26.00
Semi-major axis 17.983 Gm
Eccentricity 0.5305[4]
Inclination 33.825° *
Orbital period 926.2 d
(2.63 yr)
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter 15 km[5] **
Rotation period ?
Albedo 0.04 [5] assumed
Color light red
B-V=0.0.77 R-V=0.57[6]
Spectral type ?
*to the ecliptic **based on the albedo
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Tarvos (pronounced /ˈtɑrvəs/ TAR-vəs or pronounced /ˈtɑrvɒs/ TAR-vos) or Saturn XXI is a prograde irregular satellite of Saturn. It was discovered by John J. Kavelaars, et al. on September 23, 2000, and given the temporary designation S/2000 S 4. The name, given in August 2003, is after Tarvos, a deity depicted as a bull god carrying three cranes alongside its back from Gaulish mythology.[7]

Tarvos orbits Saturn at an average distance of 18 million km in 926 days and is about 15 km in diameter (assuming an albedo of 0.04). It has the most eccentric orbit around Saturn.[4]

It is a member of the Gallic group of irregular satellites.

Sharing similar orbit and displaying similar light-red colour, Tarvos is thought to have its origin in a break-up of a common progenitor [8][6] or to be a fragment of Albiorix.[9]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Discovery Circumstances (JPL)
  2. ^ IAUC 7513: S/2000 S 3 and S/2000 S 4 2000 October 25 (discovery)
  3. ^ MPEC 2000-Y14: S/2000 S 3, S/2000 S 4, S/2000 S 5, S/2000 S 6, S/2000 S 10 2000 December 19 (discovery and ephemeris)
  4. ^ a b c Jacobson, R.A. (2007) SAT270, SAT271 (2007-Jun-28). Planetary Satellite Mean Orbital Parameters. JPL/NASA. Retrieved on 2008-01-19.
  5. ^ a b Scott Sheppard. Saturn's Known Satellites. Department of Terrestrial Magnetism. Retrieved on 2007-03-06.
  6. ^ a b Grav, Tommy; Holman, Matthew J.; Gladman, Brett J.; Aksnes, Kaare; Photometric survey of the irregular satellites, Icarus, 166 (2003), pp. 33-45
  7. ^ IAUC 8177: Satellites of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus 2003 August 8 (naming the moon)
  8. ^ Gladman, B. J.; Nicholson, P. D.; Burns, J. A.; Kavelaars, J. J.; Marsden, B. G.; Holman, M. J.; Grav, T.; Hergenrother, C. W.; Petit, J.-M.; Jacobson, R. A.; and Gray, W. J.; Discovery of 12 satellites of Saturn exhibiting orbital clustering, Nature, 412 (2001 July 12), pp. 163–166
  9. ^ Grav, Tommy; and Bauer, J.; A deeper look at the colors of Saturnian irregular satellites

[edit] External links


v • d • e
Moons of Saturn
Generally listed in increasing distance from Saturn. Temporary names in italics.
Ring shepherds
Co-orbitals
Inner large (and Trojan)
Mimas · Methone · Anthe · Pallene · Enceladus · Tethys (Telesto • Calypso) · Dione (Helene • Polydeuces)
Outer large
Inuit group
Norse group
Gallic group
Albiorix · Bebhionn · Erriapus · Tarvos
Rings of Saturn · Cassini-Huygens · Themis · Chiron