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A natural satellite is, in the most common usage, an astronomical body that orbits a planet, dwarf planet, or small Solar System body. Natural satellites are colloquially referred to as moons, a derivation from the Moon of Earth.
The timeline of discovery of Solar System planets and their natural satellites charts the progress of the discovery of new bodies over history. Each object is listed in chronological order of its discovery, identified through its various designations, and the discoverer(s) listed.
The moons of Saturn are numerous and diverse, ranging from tiny moonlets only tens of meters across to the enormous Titan, which is larger than the planet Mercury. There are 146 moons with confirmed orbits, the most of any planet in the solar system. This number does not include the many thousands of moonlets embedded within Saturn's dense rings, nor hundreds of possible kilometer-sized distant moons that were seen through telescopes but not recaptured. Seven Saturnian moons are large enough to have collapsed into a relaxed, ellipsoidal shape, though only one or two of those, Titan and possibly Rhea, are currently in hydrostatic equilibrium. Three moons are particularly notable. Titan is the second-largest moon in the Solar System, with a nitrogen-rich Earth-like atmosphere and a landscape featuring river networks and hydrocarbon lakes. Enceladus emits jets of ice from its south-polar region and is covered in a deep layer of snow. Iapetus has contrasting black and white hemispheres as well as an extensive ridge of equatorial mountains among the tallest in the solar system.
Siarnaq, also designated Saturn XXIX, is the second-largest irregular moon of Saturn. It was discovered on 23 September 2000 by a team of astronomers led by Brett J. Gladman. It was named after the Inuit goddess of the sea, Siarnaq, who is more commonly known as Sedna. Siarnaq is the largest member of Saturn's Inuit group of prograde irregular moons, which orbit far from Saturn in the same direction as the planet's rotation. The moons of the Inuit group are believed to have originated as fragments from the collisional breakup of a larger progenitor moon after it was gravitationally captured into orbit around Saturn several billion years ago. Several other small Inuit group moons share similar orbits to Siarnaq, indicating that the moon had experienced another collision after forming from its progenitor.
S/2004 S 7 is a natural satellite of Saturn. Its discovery was announced by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, Jan Kleyna, and Brian G. Marsden on 4 May 2005 from observations taken between 12 December 2004 and 8 March 2005.
S/2004 S 12 is a natural satellite of Saturn. Its discovery was announced by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, Jan Kleyna, and Brian G. Marsden on 4 May 2005 from observations taken between 12 December 2004 and 9 March 2005.
S/2004 S 17 is a natural satellite of Saturn. Its discovery was announced by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, Jan Kleyna, and Brian G. Marsden on 4 May 2005 from observations taken between 13 December 2004 and 5 March 2005.
S/2004 S 13 is a natural satellite of Saturn. Its discovery was announced by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, Jan Kleyna, and Brian G. Marsden on 4 May 2005 from observations taken between 12 December 2004 and 9 March 2005.
S/2006 S 1 is a natural satellite of Saturn. Its discovery was announced by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, Jan Kleyna, and Brian G. Marsden on June 26, 2006 from observations taken between January 4 and April 30, 2006. S/2006 S 1 is about 6 kilometres in diameter, and orbits Saturn at an average distance of 18.65 Gm in 951.1 days, at an inclination of 154.6° to the ecliptic, in a retrograde direction and with an eccentricity of 0.0814.
S/2006 S 3 is a natural satellite of Saturn. Its discovery was announced by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, Jan Kleyna, and Brian G. Marsden on June 26, 2006 from observations taken between January and April 2006.
A moonlet, minor moon, minor natural satellite, or minor satellite is a particularly small natural satellite orbiting a planet, dwarf planet, or other minor planet.
S/2007 S 2 is a natural satellite of Saturn. Its discovery was announced by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, Jan Kleyna, and Brian G. Marsden on May 1, 2007, from observations taken between January 18 and April 19, 2007. S/2007 S 2 is about 5 kilometres in diameter, and orbits Saturn at an average distance of 16,054,500 kilometres in 759.2 days, at an inclination of 176.65° to the ecliptic, in a retrograde direction and with an eccentricity of 0.237. According to Denk et al. (2018), it is presumably at high risk of colliding with Phoebe in the future.
S/2007 S 3 is a natural satellite of Saturn. Its discovery was announced by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, Jan Kleyna, and Brian G. Marsden on 1 May 2007 from observations taken between 18 January and 19 April 2007.
A subsatellite, also known as a submoon, is a "moon of a moon" or a hypothetical natural satellite that orbits the moon of a planet.
S/2004 S 24 is a natural satellite of Saturn, and the outermost known prograde satellite. Its discovery was announced by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, and Jan Kleyna on October 7, 2019 from observations taken between December 12, 2004 and March 22, 2007.
Saturn LX, provisionally known as S/2004 S 29, is a natural satellite of Saturn and a member of the Gallic group. Its discovery was announced by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, and Jan Kleyna on October 7, 2019 from observations taken between December 12, 2004 and January 17, 2007. It was given its permanent designation in August 2021.
Beli, provisionally known as S/2004 S 30, is a natural satellite of Saturn. Its discovery was announced by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, and Jan Kleyna on October 7, 2019, from observations taken between December 12, 2004, and March 21, 2007. It was given its permanent designation in August 2021. On 24 August 2022, it was named after Beli, a jötunn from Norse mythology. He is killed by Freyr with the antler of a hart (stag). According to John Lindow, the myth of Beli is partially lost. Some scholars suggest that he may be the brother of Freyr's wife Gerðr, although this is uncertain.
Gunnlod, provisionally known as S/2004 S 32, is a natural satellite of Saturn. Its discovery was announced by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, and Jan Kleyna on October 8, 2019 from observations taken between December 12, 2004 and January 19, 2007. It was given its permanent designation in August 2021. On 24 August 2022, it was officially named after Gunnlǫð, a jötunn from Norse mythology. She is the daughter of Suttungr and guarded the mead of poetry for him. But Odin in the form of a snake gained access to the chamber in Hnitbjorg where the mead was kept, seduced Gunnlǫð, and slept with her for three nights. In return Gunnlǫð allowed Odin three drinks of the mead, and he then immediately flew out of the cavern in the form of an eagle.
Thiazzi, provisionally known as S/2004 S 33, is a natural satellite of Saturn. Its discovery was announced by Scott S. Sheppard, David C. Jewitt, and Jan Kleyna on October 8, 2019 from observations taken between December 12, 2004 and March 22, 2007. It was given its permanent designation in August 2021. On 24 August 2022, it was officially named after Þjazi, a jötunn from Norse mythology. He is a son of Alvaldi and kidnapped the goddess Iðunn, who guarded the apples of the gods.
References
- 1 2 3 "Planetary Satellite Mean Elements". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. California Institute of Technology. Retrieved 10 May 2023.
- 1 2 "MPEC 2023-J81 : S/2007 S 8". Minor Planet Electronic Circular. Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 10 May 2023.