Calypso (moon)

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There is also an asteroid called 53 Kalypso.
Calypso

Calypso image from Cassini
(February 13, 2010)
Discovery
Discovered by
  • Dan Pascu
  • P. Kenneth Seidelmann
  • William A. Baum
  • Douglas G. Currie
Discovery date March 13, 1980
Designations
Adjective Calypsonian
Orbital characteristics
Semi-major axis 294619 km
Eccentricity 0.000
Orbital period 1.887802 d [1]
Inclination 1.56° (to Saturn's equator)
Satellite of Saturn
Physical characteristics
Dimensions 30.2 × 23 × 14 km [2]
Mean radius 10.7±0.7 km [2]
Rotation period synchronous
Axial tilt zero
Albedo 1.34±0.10 (geometric) [3]

    Calypso (/kəˈlɪpsoʊ/ kə-LIP-soh; Greek: Καλυψώ) is a moon of Saturn. It was discovered in 1980, from ground-based observations, by Dan Pascu, P. Kenneth Seidelmann, William A. Baum, and Douglas G. Currie, and was provisionally designated S/1980 S 25 (the 25th satellite of Saturn discovered in 1980).[4] Several other apparitions of it were recorded in the following months: S/1980 S 29, S/1980 S 30,[5] S/1980 S 32,[6] and S/1981 S 2.[7] In 1983 it was officially named after Calypso of Greek mythology.[lower-alpha 1] It is also designated as Saturn XIV or Tethys C.

    Calypso is co-orbital with the moon Tethys, and resides in Tethys' trailing Lagrangian point (L5), 60 degrees behind Tethys. This relationship was first identified by Seidelmann et al. in 1981.[8] The moon Telesto also resides in the other (leading) Lagrangian point of Tethys, 60 degrees in the other direction from Tethys. Calypso and Telesto have been termed "Tethys trojans", by analogy to the trojan asteroids, and are half of the four presently known trojan moons.

    Like many other small Saturnian moons and small asteroids, Calypso is irregularly shaped, has overlapping large craters, and appears to also have loose surface material capable of smoothing the craters' appearance. Its surface is one of the most reflective (at visual wavelengths) in the solar system, with a visual geometric albedo of 1.34.[3] This very high albedo is the result of the sandblasting of particles from Saturn's E-ring, a faint ring composed of small, water-ice particles generated by Enceladus' south polar geysers.[9]

    Gallery

    • Another February 13, 2010 image showing flow-like albedo features

    • Cassini image from September 23, 2005

    • Calypso as seen by Voyager 2 (August 1981)

    See also

    • List of moons

    References

    Notes

    1. ↑ Transactions of the International Astronomical Union, Vol. XVIIIA, 1982 (confirms Janus, names Epimetheus, Telesto, Calypso) (mentioned in IAUC 3872: Satellites of Jupiter and Saturn, September 30, 1983)

    Citations

    1. ↑ NASA Celestia
    2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Thomas 2010.
    3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Verbiscer French et al. 2007.
    4. ↑ IAUC 3496.
    5. ↑ IAUC 3549.
    6. ↑ IAUC 3605.
    7. ↑ IAUC 3593.
    8. ↑ Seidelmann Harrington et al. 1981.
    9. ↑ Mason 2010.

    Sources

    External links

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    Generally listed in increasing distance from Saturn. Temporary names in italics.
    Ring shepherds
    Co-orbitals
    G Ring
    Inner large
    (with Trojans)
    Alkyonides
    Outer large
    Inuit group
    Gallic group
    Norse group
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