Albiorix (moon) facts for kids
Albiorix is one of the many moons orbiting the giant planet Saturn. It's not perfectly round like Earth's Moon. Scientists discovered Albiorix in the year 2000. They first called it S/2000 S 11.
Albiorix is the largest moon in a special group called the Gallic group. This group includes other small, non-round moons of Saturn.
In 2003, this moon was officially named Albiorix. Its name comes from Celtic mythology. Albiorix was another name for the Celtic god of tribal unity, also known as Toutatis.
About Albiorix
Albiorix travels around Saturn at a distance of about 16,000,000 kilometers (about 9.9 million miles). Its size is estimated to be about 32 kilometers (20 miles) across. This is based on how much sunlight it reflects.
A day on Albiorix is quite short. It takes only 13 hours and 19 minutes for the moon to spin once.
Albiorix's Orbit
The diagram on the right shows Albiorix's path around Saturn. It also shows the orbits of other non-round moons that travel in the same direction as Saturn spins. This is called a prograde orbit.
The yellow parts of the orbits in the diagram show how stretched out they are. This stretching is called eccentricity. It means the moon's distance from Saturn changes during its orbit.
What Albiorix Looks Like
Recent observations show that Albiorix has different colors on its surface. This might mean it has a very large crater. A crater is a big bowl-shaped hole made by something hitting the moon.
Scientists think that two other moons, Erriapus and Tarvos, might be pieces that broke off Albiorix. This could have happened a long time ago during a big collision with another space object.
Images for kids
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Albiorix observed by WISE in 2010
See also
In Spanish: Albiorix (satélite) para niños
